VARIETIES OF WILDFOWL. 83 



minor) are like the moorhens in diving powers, and resemble 

 them much in habits. All the grebes feed upon fish and 

 water insects. The lesser grebe is also called the Dabchick.. 

 It is a very timid bird, and disappears by diving on the 

 slightest alarm. It is easily domesticated on our ornamental 

 waters, and dives and comes up again, over and over again r 

 as if for the amusement of the spectators. 



The COMMON COOT (Fulica, atra), of which the GREATER 

 COOT is only a variety, is constantly met with on our in- 

 ternal waters, and also to some extent upon our sea-coasts. 

 Indeed, on the Southampton Water it is common enough, as 

 well as in the creeks on the coast of Essex. It breeds in 

 this country to some extent, but also migrates from the 

 north. The nest is formed of flags, &c., among the reeds or- 

 rushes, of a clumsy but compact form. Here the female lays 

 seven or eight eggs of a stone colour, two inches and one line- 

 in length by one inch and a half. The young broods appear 

 at the end of May or the beginning of June. Coots are not 

 in much request for the table, as may be supposed from the- 

 price, which is rarely above eighteen-pence a couple. The 

 beak is of a pale rose red, the naked patch on the forehead 

 being of a pure white, from which the name "bald" is given, 

 to them; iris crimson; a semicircular streak of white below 

 the eye ; the whole body covered with black feathers tinged 

 with slate grey ; primaries pure black ; secondaries the same, 

 but tipped with white, forming a narrow bar across the wing ; 

 legs, toes, and membranes dark green, with a ring of orange 

 above the tarsal joint; length sixteen inches. 



The above are common to our internal waters as \vell as 

 our sea-coasts, but the following are almost confined to the 

 latter, though a specimen may occasionally be met with some 

 few miles inland, especially in severe winters. 



The WILD SWAN or HOOPER (Cygnus ferus). Of this 

 bird there are several varieties the common wild swan, 

 Bewick's swan, the Polish swan, and two small sub-varieties 

 of the Bewick swan. This last swan resembles the common 

 wild swan in the colour of the base of the upper mandible ; 

 but the Polish swan has this part of a pale yellow instead of 

 the bright orange. The internal structure of the three is 

 shown to differ by Mr. Yarrell, and therefore, though the 5 



