THE COOT. 303 



all its energies ; but, after remaining about a minute below, 

 during which time it will dive some fifteen or twenty yards, 

 it is forced to rise, and the chase is renewed. After a few 

 divings, it becomes exhausted, and is easily taken. The downy 

 covering, too, seems to partake of the weakened force of the 

 body ; for the harder the little bird is pressed, the more sus- 

 ceptible 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 disappear 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 projecting just to admit an occasional supply of air, 

 we might have concluded that the poor little bird had either 

 fallen in with a pike, or fairly foundered. As if conscious 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 despair- 

 ing restlessness round their rapidly contracting space, as if 

 unwilling, while hope of thaw was left, to seek shelter else- 

 where. 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 b« 

 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 con- 



