THE COOT 173 
this bird, which is generally described as being 
“black with a white bill,” is seen to be a most 
delightful, almost dove-like coloured creature with 
jet black glossy head, and the neck with a blue or 
purple sheen. It is sociable, and though some- 
times it has some small squabble with a neighbour, 
it is in the main seemingly a cheery, good-tempered 
bird. Although it is not often seen to fly far, it 
can and does fly enormous distances and at a very 
great pace. The Coot does not belong to the Duck 
tribe; it has not true webbed feet, but the web 
follows the line of the toes on each side. Some- 
times it goes in very large flocks, running into 
thousands, and I have heard of large bags being 
made; but it seems rather a useless performance, 
as it is not a good bird for the table by any means, 
being very fishy flavoured, so fishy that it used to 
be allowed to be eaten as “fish” on holy days in 
French convents and monasteries. Its food seems 
to consist principally of aquatic weeds and grasses, 
and small fish and water creatures, and when it 
comes on shore it searches for insects and small 
slugs and snails, as it grazes goose-like on the 
young tender blades of grass. 
The nest and eggs of the Coot are very like 
those of the common Moorhen. 
