THE COOT. 125 



guards against them: preventing the nests being 

 carried away, by ingeniously fastening the materials 

 of which they are made to the rushes or osiers near 

 them; but at the same time, these fastenings are of 

 such a nature as to allow of the nests rising with 

 the water, so that no ordinary flood would expose 

 them to the danger of immersion. The Coot, like 

 the Water-Hen, covers her nest, and, if not so 

 effectually, yet with a most extraordinary rapidity. 

 We have repeatedly watched a Coot quietly sitting 

 on her nest; if the boat approaches, she rises, and 

 immediately begins pecking away, right and left, 

 which she continues to do till the enemy is so near, 

 that she is compelled to decamp for her own pre- 

 servation. In this short time, however, she almost 

 always contrives to cover her eggs; and though 

 the nest itself remains a very conspicuous object, 

 a careless observer might pass it as deserted and 

 empty. 



When the young are hatched, they look more 

 like little puff-balls than the bodies of birds, with 

 their bright red heads sticking out like handles. 

 For some days, they lead a weary life, exposed as 

 they are to the attacks of pike, and we believe of 

 rats, which devour numbers of them, in spite of 

 the flouncings and flappings of the poor mother, 

 who in vain tries to drive away the intruder. It 

 is surprising, indeed, how any of them escape; for 

 though they are tolerably active, no efforts of theirs 

 are sufficient to elude the swift, unerring, open- 

 mouthed dart of a voracious pike. Against other 

 enemies, they can make a better defence; and 

 we have frequently witnessed the beautiful instinct 



