134 THE CRANE 



in the same waters all the year round, the Coot visits the Azores, 

 Madeira and the Canaries, North Africa and Egypt in winter, and 

 gets as far south as the Blue Nile. Their note, in summer, is a 

 loud harsh cry, represented by the syllable krew, as it would 

 be uttered by a crazy trumpet. In winter they are nearly mute. 

 During the latter season. Coots are confined to the southern parts 

 of the island ; but in the breeding season they are more generally 

 diffused. 



When seen on the sea-coast, they are readily distinguished 

 from Ducks by the different position in which they sit on the water, 

 with their heads low, poking forwards, and their tails sticking high 

 above the body. When flying in large coveys, they crowd to- 

 gether into a mass, but when swimming scatter over a wide space. 



They have the same power of concealing themselves by diving 

 among weeds that has been already said to be possessed by the 

 GaUinule. I have seen a female Coot and her brood, when 

 disturbed by a party of sportsmen, paddle for a small patch of 

 rushes, and defy a long-continued and minute search conducted 

 by keepers and clever water-dogs. The latter appeared to traverse, 

 again and again, every square foot of the rush bed ; but not a 

 single bird was dislodged. 



Owing to drainage the Coot is less plentiful than it was, although 

 the late Lord Lilford said it had increased much on the river Neue 

 of recent years. 



ORDER ALECTORIDES 



FAMILY GRUID.E 

 THE CRANE 



GRUS COMMTJNIS 



General plumage ash-grey ; throat, part of the neck, and back of the head, 

 dark blackish grey ; forehead and cere covered with black bristly hairs ; 

 crown naked, orange red ; some of the secondaries elongated, arched, 

 and having the barbs of the feathers free ; bill greenish black, reddish 

 at the base, horn-coloured at the tip ; irides reddish brown ; feet black. 

 Young birds have the crown feathered, and want the dark grey of the neck 

 and head. Length five feet. Eggs pale greenish ash, blotched and 

 spotted with brown and dark green. 



From the fact of nine Cranes being recorded among the presents 

 received at the wedding of the daughter of Mr. More, of Loseley, in 

 1567, it would appear that these birds were tolerably common in 

 England at that date. 



