94 BMTISH BIRDS, THEIil EGGS ANI> NESTS. 



dom, and, in former days, I have sometimes seen them in strag- 

 gling flocks of several hundreds or thousands along the tide-way 

 on the Essex coasts. With its white oval spot on the forehead, 

 and perfectly black plumage, it is a sufficiently noticeable bird. 

 It seems to be much more at home on the water than on land ; 

 but, like the Moor -Hen, can and does move with very considerable 

 ease and speed on the latter. The Coot makes a large and very 

 strong and compact nest, making or finding a firm foundation for 

 it below the surface of the water, and heaping up and twisting in 

 dry flags and bulrushes and pieces of reed, until some of the 

 nests are sufficiently firm and stable to support a considerable 

 weight. The eggs laid are usually seven or eight, and up to ten; 

 though even twelve or fourteen have been mentioned as some- 

 times found. They are of a dingy stone-colour, speckled and 

 spotted with dark brown. Fig. 8, plate IX. 



225. GREY PHALAROPE (Phalaropus lobatus). 

 Red Phalarope. Supposed, some half-century since, to be ex- 

 ceedingly rare in this country, but now known to visit our shores 

 in small numbers, perhaps annually, on their way to their winter 

 place of sojourning. Like the Coot, they are lobe-footed, and 

 very capable swimmers. 



226. RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. (Phalaropushyperboreut). 

 Red Phalarope. More rare than the last-named in England, 

 though occurring, occasionally, somewhat more abundantly in 

 some of the northern Scotch Islands. 



V. NATATORES. 

 FAMILY I. ANATIDJE. 



227. GREY-LEGGED GOOSE (Anserferus). 

 Grey-lag Goose, Grey-Goose, Wild-Goose. It is not pro- 

 posed to give any illustrations whatever of the eggs of the Wild- 

 fowl the Geese, Swans, Ducks, and Diving-Ducks inasmuch 

 as they are not only of large size, and would usurp much space 

 to the absolute exclusion of many others of much interest and 

 urgently demanding pictorial illustration, but, also, are charac- 

 terised by so much sameness or general uniformity of colour; 

 for they vary only, in that respect, about as much as the eggs of 

 the common Eowl and common Duck do. A very large propor- 

 tion of them, moreover, never by any chance breed in any por- 

 tion of the British Islands, but resort to distant and very northerly 

 localities for that purpose. The first on our list, the Common 

 Grey, or Wild Goose, is an instance in point. It is believed once 

 to have been a regular inhabitant, and to have bred abundantly 



