152 BRITISH BIRDS’ EGGS. 
COMMON COOT. 
Futica atra, Linn. 
Pl. XXIII, fig. 8. 
Geogr. distr.—Europe generally; Asia as far eastward as Japan; 
southwards to Central Africa ; Australia generally distributed, common 
and resident in Great Britain. 
Food.—Shoots of aquatic plants, &c., aquatic insects, and small 
Mollusea. 
Nest.—A heavy and solid structure, though formed of loose but 
usually very wet materials, such as decayed aquatic herbage, decayed 
and fresh reeds, flags, &c., and well hollowed in the centre. 
Position of nest.—Amongst reeds or willows, amongst grass or 
herbage on land, or, built to a good height, in shallow water. 
Number of eggs.—5-8; rarely 12. 
Time of nidification.—V-VI. 
A beautiful nest of this species, obtained for me by the 
Hon. Walter De Rothschild, measures 15 inches by 104 in 
diameter, and the central cavity 5 inches by 4. 
The nest of the Coot is a common object on the Norfolk 
Broads, either in little islands of growing reeds or among 
the reeds which border their banks. As a rule the bulk of 
the nest is submerged, leaving only a few inches of the 
fresh reeds which form the upper layer above the surface. 
In the autumn the Coots assemble in flocks, and fre- 
quently repair to salt marshes near the coast. They are, 
however, occasionally seen in winter upon ornamental water 
in or near cities, such, for instance, as those in Regent’s 
Park and Kensington Gardens. I have myself seen it in 
the water in St. James’s Park, where, however, it appeared 
to be semi-domesticated. Many birds, but especially the 
young chicks, fall victims to the rapacity of Pike, which 
drag them suddenly under water, whilst they are swimming, 
and devour them, whereas others are said to be swallowed 
by the Heron. It is said that the old birds sometimes 
repel the attacks of birds of prey by flapping water up at 
them with their wings. 
