AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 333 



generally "moored" to the surrounding plants so as 

 to rise and fall with the element. The eggs are 

 generally from eight to ten in number, of a light 

 drab ground-colour, speckled with small very dark 

 brown or black spots or dots ; they are, in my 

 opinion, quite as excellent for the table as those of 

 the Peewit. 



In severe frosts the Coots crowd into tidal estuaries, 

 and feed to a great extent upon the sea-grass. We 

 have met with this species in all parts of Europe 

 and N. Africa that we have visited. On the brackish 

 lagoons of Eastern Spain, Sardinia, and Corsica, and 

 the great salt-lakes of Provence I have seen many 

 thousands of Coots in the winter; on these latter 

 waters regularly organized Coot-battues are carried 

 out, the days being fixed by the Prefect of Marseille, 

 and printed notices posted up about that town and 

 the neighbouring villages : a flotilla of boats, with 

 one or tw r o gunners in each, starts in a crescent- 

 formation up wind upon the birds ; the shores are 

 lined with gunners and sometimes hundreds of 

 spectators : the Coots swim off at their best pace, 

 some of them occasionally diving or flying for short 

 distances, till they feel themselves " cornered " by 

 the advancing boats and their enemies on shore. At 

 last the birds begin to take the air in force, and after 

 fighting against the wind for awhile, turn and come 

 back again over the boats, when a fierce fire begins, 

 and continues till the last Coot has passed over or 

 been killed. After gathering the slain and the 

 cripples, the boats go about and repeat the same 

 tactics down wind. Enormous numbers of Coots, a 

 few Grebes, and occasionally a few Ducks of various 

 species are killed in these battues, and from the 



