CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 197 



be treated as Wild Duck or Teal, and I am almost cer- 

 tain that even the most fastidious epicure will be 

 desirous of repeating the experiment. As the cook is 

 the last person in an establishment that I should wish 

 to be on bad terms with, I always, when shooting these 

 birds, order the men to pluck those that are intended 

 for home use as soon as they are collected ; while warm 

 the feathers and down may be stripped from them with 

 but little exertion, though, should they once get cold 

 and set, it will require nearly an hour's scrubbing with 

 resin to remove the tenacious black down from the 

 breast and back of a single Coot. 



The specimens in the case were obtained on Loch 

 Slyn, near Tain, in Boss-shire, in May, 1869. 



COOT. (MATURE AND NESTLINGS.) 

 Case 262. 



The Coot is a common bird in most parts of the 

 British Islands, being found in numbers both on the 

 Highland lochs and on the lakes and broads in the 

 southern counties. 



During winter they usually collect in flocks on some 

 large piece of water ; here they remain till, driven from 

 their quarters by continued frost, they come down 

 to the tidal rivers and harbours on the coast, where 

 numbers fall victims to the punt -gunners. 



On the extensive broads in the eastern counties, 

 where these birds begin to gather as early as Septem- 

 ber, regular battues are organised at intervals during 

 the autumn and winter, and afford an exciting day's 

 sport to the whole of the gunning community of the 

 neighbourhood. 



