COOT 



3°7 



water for more than a quarter of a minute at a time and coming up with singular 

 abruptness. When chased, it dives and rises alternately, until it has escaped from 

 danger. When starting to fly, it jumps once or twice above the surface, and then 

 rises with quick and short movements of its wings, stretching its neck forward and its 

 legs out behind, the flight being powerful but not fast, and, though having a noisy 

 beginning, ending in silence as the bird glides gently into the water again without 

 making more than a slight ripple on the surface. The coot walks about as 

 awkwardly as a duck, and, like ducks, is frequently shot for food, as in Herzegovina, 



-where it is smoked and preserved and forms an important item in the winter- 

 provisions of the people. The nest is compactly built on a foundation of reeds, 

 leaves, and flags, and is frequentl}* a floating raft moored to a reed or allowed to 

 drift. In May, especially in the last half of the month, this contains from seven to 

 twelve eggs, which are of pale yellowish brown as the principal colour, but so spotted 

 with brown and grey that the ground-colour can hardly be seen. The black and 

 fluffy young ones are hatched in three weeks, and immediately leave the nest to 

 swim about accompanied by their mother. In autumn coots begin to assemble on 

 ■certain lakes in order to migrate to the south in October and November. They fly 



