116 BIEDS OF GUERNSEY. 



the Moorhen myself in Guernsey, but Mr. Couch, 

 writing to me in December, 1876, told me that 

 Mr. De Putron informed him that Coots, Waterhens, 

 and Little Grebes bred that year in the Braye Pond ; 

 and Mr. De Putron, to whom I wrote on the subject, 

 said the information I had received was perfectly 

 correct. I see no reason to doubt the fact of the 

 Moorhen occasionally breeding in Mr. De Putron's 

 pond, and perhaps in other places in the Island, 

 especially the Grand Mare. But I do not believe 

 they breed regularly in either place ; they certainly 

 did not in this last summer (1878), or I must 

 have seen or heard them. As far as Mr. De Putron's 

 pond is concerned, I could not have helped hearing 

 their loud call or alarm note had only one pair 

 been breeding there ; I have, however, a young bird 

 of the year, killed in Guernsey in November, 1878. 

 Professor Ansted includes it in his list, and marks 

 it as only occurring in Guernsey. There are two 

 specimens in the Museum, probably both Guernsey 

 killed. 



99. COMMON COOT. Fulica atra, Linnaeus. French, 

 " Foulque," "Foulque macroule." In spite of Mr. 

 De Putron's statement that the Coot bred in the 

 Braye Pond in the summer of 1876, I can scarcely 

 look upon it in the light of anything but an occa- 

 sional and never numerous autumnal visitant ; and 

 its breeding in the Braye Pond that year must have 



