224 



THE ANGLER'S SOUVENIR. 



and it can scarcely be called a distinguishing habit, 

 as it is in the case of the grebe. 



Less common than the last-mentioned, the coot 

 is yet a well-known bird, and, when swimming 

 in company with the water-hen, is easily distin- 

 guished from it by the white patch on its head. 

 In its habits it is like the water-hen, but is shyer 

 and more retiring. It is also stronger on the wing, 

 and takes long migrations from one part of the 

 kingdom to another. Its nest is also much more 

 substantially built, and often floats upon the sur- 

 face of the water, held in its place only by the 

 reeds growing around it. A strong wind once 

 drove the nest of a coot from its moorings, and it 

 floated hither and thither on the surface of the 

 lake, according to the direction of the wind. Not- 

 withstanding this, the old bird continued to sit, and 

 eventually brought off her brood. 



The scenery of our larger lakes would not be 

 complete without the presence of the grebes. The 

 larger one, the great-crested grebe, is the rarer, 

 but we think it quite possible that it is the more 

 generally known to the majority of fishermen. Its 

 size and remarkable appearance ensure its being 

 observed ; and then it keeps so carefully out in the 

 open water, away from other birds, that it cannot 

 be overlooked when it is present on the mere. If 

 you row near it, it turns its head suspiciously from 

 side to side, and sinks low in the water, until only 

 its head and long neck are visible above the sur- 



