COOT. 
FULICA ATRA, Linn. 
Fulica atra, Linn. 8. N. i. p. 257 (1766); Naum. ix. p. 635; 
Macg. iv. p. 560; Hewitson, ii. p. 880; Yarr. ed. 4, iii. 
p. 171; Dresser, vii. p. 327. 
Foulque noire, Macroule, French; Wasserhuhn, Mohren- 
huhn, Blisshuhn, German; Mancén, Gallareta, 
Spanish. 
This bird is more or less common on all large sheets 
of fresh water whose banks or islands afford good coyert 
of reeds and other aquatic vegetation during the summer 
months. It is also frequently to be met with on our 
deep and sluggish rivers, and in severe weather the 
Coots crowd to the open estuaries and mud-flats on our 
coasts. On our main river, the Nen, in Northampton- 
shire, the Coot is not abundant, but some years ago, 
being anxious to establish some of these birds near 
Lilford as an attraction to wild fowl, I obtained some 
eggs from the “ Broads ” of Norfolk, and put them into 
the nests of Water-Hens. Every egg thus located was 
hatched out, and for many years we had a small but 
flourishing “ Cootery ” within sight of the house; but I 
regret to say that the Coots have now left us for some 
