WADING BIRDS. 203 



kept cheeping piteously for their absent parent, they 

 showed not the slightest alarm at us, but as we rowed 

 quietly along they swam slowly after our boat, and so 

 closely that I, took up one in my hand, and as we left 

 the island we had to drive them away, or they would 

 have followed us to the shore, which was at some dis- 

 tance, and where, possibly, the old bird might not easily 

 have found them. The little things, with their dingy 

 bodies and reddish heads, looked so pretty, and showed 

 such confidence in us, that I felt quite sorry to leave 

 them. I have known the male take charge of the 

 young, tending them as carefully as the female ; whether 

 this was owing to the death of the latter I cannot say, 

 but I have noted an instance of the male being shot 

 when thus engaged. The eggs of the coot are very con- 

 stantin colour and markings, a cold stone-coloured ground 

 uniformly covered with small blackish dots and specks. 



I have never but once seen a coot on the land ; and 

 here, as might be expected, from the construction of its 

 feet, its actions were rather ungainly, though not so 

 much so as might be supposed ; on the water it is quite 

 another creature, thoroughly at home, diving incessantly, 

 and sometimes to the amazing distance of at least ninety 

 or one hundred yards. Its skill as a diver is best seen 

 in pairing time, when the male amorously chases the 

 female, sometimes on the surface of the water, but as 

 often beneath, and under cover I have watched with 

 much interest and surprise the extent of their sub- 

 aqueous evolutions, which I could see distinctly. 



