258 THE BALD COOT, 



the FuJica alra of Linn., the Foidque macroulc of 

 Temmiiick. It is found rather extensively in the 

 southern counties of England, becomes more rare 

 northward, and is altogether lost sight of in the 

 alpine regions of Scotland; its occurrence being con- 

 fined to the neighbourhood of the smaller lochs. 

 Nevertheless, it is occasionally mentioned in the 

 Orkneys. The Bald Coot arrives in North Britain 

 the first fine spring days, and rarely stays through 

 the mnter, miless an unusually mild one. Some of 

 these birds dive mth the facility of the penguin kind, 

 and keep under, while hunting for their food in the 

 still watei*s they select par preference, for a great length 

 of time, eating, as is supposed, whatever may come 

 within their reach, — pond- weed, aquatic larvae, insects, 

 <tc. In the larger rivers of England they collect in im- 

 mense numbers, and are then caught by means of the 

 weirs used for catching fish, while they are searching 

 for the small fish and insectivora. At breeding sea- 

 son they become scattered in pairs, and so remain 

 until the autumn, when again they assemble together 

 iu companies. Their nests are made in the river 

 rushes, or in the reeds of the plashy brakes that are 

 found near our estuaries. They are of considerable 

 size, and they use the materials within reach in their 

 construction. As we have said, the bald coot is a shy 

 bird, and, except at the season of incubation, difficult 

 of approach. It flies with its long legs outstretched 

 in its rear. The coot, it is said, weighs about twenty- 

 four ounces. Its bald forehead appears rather a con- 



