igo THE BOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



tail (about half the length of head and trunk), by having the 

 tail covered with short hair, and by other features concerning 

 the teeth and the like. Though it has not webbed feet, the 

 water-vole is an adept swimmer and diver, and it often has an 

 under-water entrance to its burrow. It is in many ways an 

 interesting and pleasing animal. It often sits up like a squirrel, 

 holding its food to its mouth in its paws ; the mother may carry 

 her young to safety in her mouth as a cat carries her kitten. It 

 feeds mainly on the roots and stems of water-plants like the 

 iris, and, apart from breaking down the banks, does not do a great 

 deal of harm. Much smaller, and belonging to a different order 

 of mammals, is the water-shrew (Crossopus fodiens). It is an 

 insectivore, not a rodent ; it eats small water animals not plants ; 

 it is larger than the other British shrews (species of Sorex}, the 

 head and body being about 3j inches in length, the tail 2 T V inches. 

 If there is doubt about a specimen, reference may be made to 

 such books as Lydekker's, 1 where characteristic details are noted, 

 such as the brownish red tips of the thirty teeth and the fringes 

 of hairs on tail and feet. 



Birds of the Pond. The coot (Fulica air a) is a cheerful 

 tenant of large ponds and lakes all over the country, loquacious 

 but wary, diving incessantly after small water animals and 

 pieces of plants, finding it a little difficult to get on the wing 

 when startled, and in its low flight striking the water with its 

 dangling feet. The pure white bald patch on the forehead will 

 serve the beginner as a headmark in distinguishing coot from 

 moor-hen, which is, moreover, much smaller. The nest is a 

 large strong structure made of flags, raised it may be a foot 

 above the water; the young almost "furry" at first sight- 

 are delightfully quaint. Nearly allied to the coot is the moor- 

 hen (which means mire- or marsh-hen) Gallinula chloropus 

 and to the same family (Rallidae) the shy water-rail (Ralhis 

 aquations) belongs. With ponds and lakes we also associate 

 swans and wild duck, sedge-warbler and reed-bunting, black- 

 headed gulls, and many more, but perhaps the most character- 

 istic of all is the little grebe or dab-chick (Podicipes fluviatilis\ 

 which is also one of the most fascinating. 



1 See (Lydekker) p. 222. 



