COMMON COOT. 567 



spotted and speckled evenly over the entire surface with blackish brown. 

 The markings are seldom very large, generally varying from about the 

 size of No. 10 shot to mere specks. On some eggs many of the spots are 

 underlying and violet-grey. They are not subject to much variation in 

 colour, but differ considerably in size. They vary in length from 2'2 to 

 2-08 inch, and in breadth from 1*55 to 1'05 inch. The eggs of the Coot 

 cannot be confused with those of any other British bird, but are^indis- 

 tinguishable from those of the Crested Coot. Stevenson states that he 

 has frequently known a Waterhen's egg laid in the nest of this species. 

 The Coot does not cover her eggs when she leaves them, and when 

 disturbed slips quietly off the nest, and often remains submerged in 

 the water close by until the danger is passed. Both parents assist in 

 incubation. The young are able to leave the nest soon after they are 

 hatched, and are tended most assiduously by their parents ; they adopt 

 the same means for procuring their safety when menaced by danger as 

 their parents, and dive or conceal themselves amongst the herbage with 

 great quickness. Many, however, fall victims to rapacious pike, and the 

 Heron often catches them. 



In winter Coots collect into immense flocks in the low-lying counties, 

 and frequent the fresh water as long as it remains unfrozen, only quitting 

 it for the sea when absolutely compelled by long-continued frost. They 

 appear to migrate to the coast under these circumstances in large flocks, 

 quitting their freshwater haunts to a bird. Many Coots come to our 

 eastern counties at this season and swell the ranks of the resident birds ; 

 and it is said that these migrants arrive singly and afterwards congregate. 

 When alarmed they generally scatter at once, which they do more or less 

 when feeding. These winter visitors appear to take their departure in 

 March, just about the time that the resident Coots are pairing for the 

 coming breeding-season. 



The general colour of the plumage of the adult Coot is dull slate-grey, 

 shading into nearly black on the head, neck, and under tail-coverts. The 

 quills are brown, shading into white on the tips of the secondaries, which 

 form a white bar across the wing, most conspicuous during flight. Bill 

 flesh-colour, shading into white at the tip and on the frontal plate ; legs, 

 feet, and claws olive, shading into orange above the tarsal joint; irides 

 crimson. The female resembles the male in colour. Young in first plumage 

 have the upper parts suffused with olive-brown, and the chin, throat, breast, 

 and belly nearly white. In their first autumn they moult into the plumage 

 of birds of the year, in which the white is nearly lost on the chin and throat, 

 and partially so on the belly. Young in down are black, some of the fila- 

 ments being tipped with white. 



