THE BIRD-LIFE OF LONDON 



the Water Hen in its habits, being equally at ease on the 

 land as in the water. It may be watched walking about 

 the grass in the usual Rail-like way, picking here and 

 there as it goes. It is equally at home in trees, and often 

 visits them to roost. It is not, however, so nocturnal, 

 feeding chiefly during the daytime. When swimming it 

 has the same peculiar bobbing of the head and is quite 

 as expert a diver as its smaller relative, often going for 

 a long distance under the surface to elude danger. It 

 seldom flies far, except when compelled, and when rising 

 somewhat heavily allows its legs to dangle down for some 

 moments. It has the same habit of flying about at night, 

 its whereabouts being indicated from time to time by 

 its clear, far-sounding note of ko. The Coot is a social 

 bird during summer, and in autumn and winter often 

 assembles in large flocks, but these big gatherings are 

 usually on salt water, to which many of the birds resort 

 at that season. The food of this species is largely com- 

 posed of grass, buds, leaves, berries, and the tender 

 shoots of various plants ; to this fare is added grain, 

 insects, grubs, snails, worms, and small fishes. The bird 

 may often be seen browsing like a Goose. The breeding 

 season commences in April, and most of the eggs for the 

 first broods are laid in May, for later ones in July. The 

 nest, often a floating structure, is made amongst aquatic 

 vegetation, and is a big heap of rotten plants, at the top 

 of which a shallow cavity is lined with finer and drier 

 material of a similar character. The six to a dozen eggs 

 are pale buff or stone-colour, sprinkled and dusted with 

 blackish brown and grey. The young chicks take to the 

 water soon after they are hatched, where they are fed 

 and tended by the parents. Many pairs often nest on 

 the same sheet of water. 



The adult Coot has the general colour of the plumage 

 an almost uniform lead-grey, becoming almost black on 

 the head, neck, and under tail-coverts ; the quills are 

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