NOTES AND QUERIES. 433 



Migration of the Coot (Fulica atra) in Bedfordshire. — Last year I 

 visited the various breeding haunts of this species in the above county 

 to ascertain the numbers nesting in the respective localities for com- 

 parison with their aggregate at other times of the year. The nesting 

 haunts of the Coot in Bedfordshire are practically limited to the 

 pools in a few of the private parks. At Luton Hoo, Woburn, 

 Battlesdon, and Tingrith some thirty pairs may breed in all, and 

 their numbers during the remainder of the year appear to be about 

 in proportion, hence we may presume that, apart from forced migra- 

 tion owing to severe frosts, such are resident birds throughout the 

 year. Whereas at Pouthill Lake, the largest sheet of water in that 

 county — upwards of thirty-three acres in extent — different facts are 

 gleaned. Here some eight to ten pair of Coot nest yearly, and these 

 home-bred birds are very considerably added to, when autumn ap- 

 proaches, by immigrants that remain there until the following spring. 

 I have a record counting over one hundred Coot there as early as 

 July 30th in last year, half of which would be recent arrivals, and 

 on Sept. 23rd of the present year some one hundred and fifty were 

 on that sheet of water. From this time of the year onwards their 

 numbers further increase, and many hundreds will be invariably seen 

 together there during the winter months, the largest number I have 

 a note of being on Dec. 10th, 1910, when about six hundred were 

 counted, but, revisiting the lake on Dec. 29th following, only some 

 three hundred and fifty remained. Coot are occasionally seen on the 

 waterways of that county, but such occurrences are generally re- 

 stricted to their movements in September and October. From 

 inquiries and observations made by my friend Mr. Chas. Oldham at 

 the large reservoirs at Tring, in Hertfordshire, which are the nearest 

 extensive nesting haunts, he informs me that the number of Coot 

 there is likewise increased during the same period of the year. 

 Whence these migrants come, whether partly from some other breed- 

 ing waters in this country or Continental immigrants, yet remains to 

 be proved, and upon which subject further information from other 

 contributors would be valuable. — J. Steele Elliott (Dowles Manor, 

 Shropshire) . 



Gulls hawking for Insects. — Sept. 12th was a very hot and sultry 

 day, and by the evening the stagnant air was filled wdth myriads of 

 winged ants. This induced a number of Black-headed Gulls {Larus 

 ridibundus) to adopt what seemed to me a most unusual method of 

 feeding. Eising about one hundred to one hundred and fifty feet up 

 these sea-birds joined a number of House-Martins and " hawked " for 

 ZooL 'ith ser. vol. XV.. November, 1911. 2 i- 



