THE COOT. 3947 
every pond or sheet of water where the reedy or rushy banks offer it a refuge. 
When startled it often dives on the instant, and. emerging under floating 
weeds or rubbish, just pokes its bill above the surface, so that the nostrils are 
uncovered by the water, and remains submerged until the danger is past, 
ee itself in the proper position by the grasp of its strong toes upon the 
weeds. 
The nesting of this bird is very peculiar. The Water Hen builds a large 
editice of sedges, sticks, and leaves, either on the bank close to the water’s 
edge, upon little reedy islands, or on low banks overhanging the water, and 
generally very conspicuous. The mother bird has a habit of scraping leaves 
and rushes over her eggs when she leaves the nest—not, as some persons 
fancy, to keep the eggs warm, but to hide them from the prying eyes of 
crows and magpies, jays, and other egg-devouring birds. 
WATER HEN.—(Gallinula chloropus.) 
The young are able to swim almost as soon as hatched, and for some time 
remain close to their parents. I once, to my great regret, shot by mistake 
several young Moor Hens, still in their first suit of black puffy down, and 
paddling about among the water-lilies and other aquatic herbage where I 
could not see them. Pike are rather apt to carry off the little creatures, by 
coming quickly under the weeds and jerking them under water before they 
take the alarm. 
THE CoMMON COOT, or BALD COOT, as it is sometimes called, is anothe. 
of our familiar British water-birds, being seen chiefly in lakes, large ponds, 
and the quiet banks of wide rivers. 
The habits of the Coot much resemble those of the water hen, and it feeds 
after a similar fashion upon molluscs, insects, and similar creatures, which 
it finds either in the water or upon land. 
The nest of the Coot is a huge edifice of reeds and rank-water herbage, 
sometimes placed at the edge of the water, and sometimes on little islan.|s 
at some distance from shore. I have often had to ‘ade for thirty or forty 
yards to these nests, which have been founded upon the tops of little hillocks 
almost covered with water. The whole nest is strongly though rudely made ; 
and if the water should suddenly rise and set the nest floating, the Coot is 
very little troubled at the change, but sits quietly on her eggs waiting for 
