The Bird Book 



on the back, and has the further distinction of a 

 white shield on the forehead, since that of the 

 Waterhen is a deep lake-red. Though its habits 

 are very similar to those of the Moorhen, the 

 Coot is not to be found on the small ponds to 

 which its relative resorts, but frequents broad 

 sheets of water, lakes and reservoirs. It has, 

 too, made a step in advance of the Moorhen 

 in the direction of webbed feet, since the toes, 

 though not joined together by web as is the 

 case with a Duck, are supplemented on either 

 side with wide scalop-shaped lobes. 



The bird builds its nest in the same kind of 

 situation, and lays the same type of egg as the 

 Moorhen, though it is, of course, larger and 

 differs in being speckled with small blackish 

 spots. 



In some of the low-lying swampy meadow land 

 of the Eastern Counties may be found colonies of 

 Snipe and Redshank nesting together. As you 

 approach their haunt the birds rise and circle high 

 overhead, filling the air with their sounds. The 

 peculiar " drumming " of the Snipe is, perhaps, the 

 most noticeable, for it is unlike any other in bird- 

 land, and may not inaptly be compared to the 

 bleating of a goat. The way in which it is pro- 

 duced affords a subject for even the keenest 

 observers to disagree upon. It is generally, if 

 not invariably, heard while the bird is descending 

 with rapidly vibrating wings, and many assert that 



