THE COOT. 331 



partake of the weakened force of the body; for|the 

 harder the little bird is pressed, the more susceptible is 

 it of moisture ; and, instead of rising above the water 

 glossy and dry, like a powder-puff, it becomes wet and 

 spongy. Should it, however, contrive to gain a patch 

 of weeds before it is quite exhausted, it seems to dis- 

 appear by magic ; in vain is its rising looked for, not 

 a ripple betrays its progress ; and, had we not been 

 fortunate enough, in several instances, to detect it, 

 cowering about an inch below the surface, its body 

 under the shelter of a floating leaf, and its beak pro- 

 jecting just to admit an occasional supply of air, wo 

 might have concluded that the poor little bird had either 

 fallen in with a Pike, or fairly foundered. As if con- 

 scious of their safety, we have watched them, remaining 

 motionless for several minutes together, and then taken 

 them up before they had time to struggle. 



Foxes are said to be fond of Coots, and when the 

 waters they frequent are frozen up, it is not improbable 

 that many fall victims. This may probably account for 

 their returning in diminished numbers after long frosts. 

 On a mere, where, from constant observation, we knew 

 the precise number, they would remain as long as a few 

 square yards of water were unfrozen, sitting on the ice, 

 or swimming with a sort of despairing restlessness, round 

 their rapidly contracting space, as if unwilling, while 

 hope of thaw was left, to seek shelter elsewhere. Even 

 when this, their last opening, is sealed up, they will, for 

 a day or two, linger amongst the rushes on the borders; 

 but at length they disappear altogether, and may in vain 

 be sought for in the ditches and open streams adjacent. 

 As they do not return till many days after the frost has 

 broken up, and Ducks and other birds common to the 

 mere have reappeared, it is probable they migrate to 

 some distance, most likely to the sea-coast, where frost 

 has little power, and where we know, during very severe 

 weather, they have been observed to congregate in flocks 



