G26 



HOMES WITHOUT HAKD8. 



seldom less than seven, and sometimes twelve or fourteen. They 

 are whitish, and profusely spotted with irregular brown marks. 



In the illustration, the haunts of the Coot are well represented 

 In the foreground is seen one of the grass tussocks, of which a 

 pair of Coots have taken possession, and ia which the young are 

 seen under the protection of their parents. Similar tussocks 



protrude from the shallow water, and from one of them the 

 mother Coot is issuing, followed by her young brood. In the 

 background are seen a pair of swans, one of which is bearing 

 her young on her back, according to the custom of her kind. 



As is the case with many of the illustrations to this work, the 

 sketch was taken from nature. 



