THE OSPREY. 69 



In other places he says, "The coot can swim and dive with great ease". "In 

 such situations it spends most of its time feeding on grasshoppers, leaves of 

 aquatic plants, small shells, and insects, collecting much of its food under 

 water". 



Mr. Moore, who observed this bird in Florida, states that Audubon was 

 in error in supposing that it never dives. He says it is not in the habit of 

 immersing its entire body, yet he has occasionally seen one or two birds in a 

 squad of four or five plunge and remain so long beneath the surface that this 

 had become smooth before they emerged. "This is frequently done by one 

 individual while the others by its side are engaged in picking from the surface". 



John Bartram, in a letter to Alexander Wilson, says, "It swims remark- 

 ably well, and when wounded will dive like a duck. They are loquacious and 

 noisy, talking to one another night and day, and constantly on the water, the 

 broad lobated membranes on their toes enabling them to swim and dive like 

 ducks". Wilson further says that "Buflfon describes the mode of shooting 

 coots in France, particularly in Lorraine, on the great pools of Tiancourt and 

 of Indre; hence we are led to suppose that they are esteemed as an article of 

 food. But with us who are enabled by the abundance and variety of game to 

 indulge in greater luxuries in that season when our coots visit us, they are 

 considered as of no account, and are seldom eaten". 



Dr. Coues says, "I do not recollect when, if ever, I have seen coots fly 

 up into the air and away. * * * As an article of food they may take fair 

 rank, though they are considered on the whole as inferior to most ducks". 

 He says nothing about their food or their diving. 



Maynard says, "they not only swim and dive well, but make their way 

 through the grass with ease and swiftness". Wheaton says, "It is more 

 aquatic in its habits than the others of its family, being better adapted for 

 swimming and diving than for locomotion on land. They are considered a 

 nuisance by sportsmen and a fraud by amateurs, who sometimes mistake 

 them for ducks". 



Nuttall says, "They are nocturnal in their habits, the old birds being 

 rarely seen by day. * * * With us they are very taciturn, though tame, 

 and appear to have no voice but for the exciting period of the nuptial season. 

 * * * They swim and dive with the utmost facility. * * * They are 

 habitual divers. * * *They do not appear to dive with the same prompt- 

 ness as the European species". 



At Lake Maxinkuckee the coot is as thoroughly a water bird as any 

 species of duck. I never saw them walking on shore as mentioned by Cooper, 

 but observed that they might be found in any and all parts of the lake, though 

 they were more apt to occur in larger numbers nearer shore than most other 

 species. I think the helldivers and horned grebes came, as a rule, somewhat 



