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irregular that it cannot fairly be taken into consideration. In plumage there does not appear to 

 be any difference in the specimens from the various localities. 



In North America the present species is replaced by Fulica americana, which may at once 

 be distinguished by having the lateral under tail-coverts white. 



In the northern portions of its range the Coot is a migrant, leaving for the south at the 

 approach of winter ; but in the south it is a resident, or merely changes its habitat according as 

 it finds it necessary to obtain a good supply of suitable food. It frequents marshes, pools, and 

 lakes which are overgrown with or skirted by reeds, sedge, water-lilies, or other aquatic plants, 

 amongst which it can find secure hiding-places should danger threaten. It is generally to be 

 seen swimming, if it feels itself quite safe, out in the open water, or otherwise close to or 

 amongst the reeds, and but seldom coming on shore to open places, though it often wades about 

 in wet marshy places which are well covered with aquatic herbage. On land it is but an 

 awkward-looking bird ; for its legs being placed far aft it is compelled to walk very erect, and its 

 feet, though excellently adapted for swimming, render its progress on land rather clumsy ; but 

 it runs almost as well as the Moorhen, and with tolerable ease when disturbed and forced to run 

 to shelter. On the water it floats very buoyantly, and swims with ease, though not very swiftly, 

 jerking its tail and moving its neck to and fro. It dives extremely well, and when closely 

 pursued will pass along some distance under the water, and then, catching hold of the stem of a 

 stout plant, will keep its body immersed, the bill and fore part of the head to the eyes only 

 being left above the surface. Exceedingly shy and wary, it is by no means an easy bird to get 

 near ; and it is well able to distinguish between any one who is likely to injure it and any harm- 

 less individual ; for it appears to disregard fishermen or children, even when in tolerably close 

 proximity, whereas any suspicious-looking person, especially any one carrying a gun, is most 

 scrupulously and carefully avoided. Being extremely companionable, and usually found in 

 smaller or larger parties, or during the winter in vast swarms, it is the more difficult to 

 approach, as some of the party are sure to be on the alert, and not only alarm their comrades, 

 but any other waterfowl that may be in the vicinity. When it takes wing it does not at 

 once swing itself into the air, but rises at a very low angle, splashing the water for some 

 distance with its wings and feet. Its call-note is a clear, loud, almost trumpet-like cry, uttered 

 abruptly ; but heard at night, when several are calling, it is not unlike the shrill barking of a 

 small dog. 



The food of the Coot consists of aquatic insects of various kinds, seeds, buds, and tender 

 shoots of aquatic plants, small shell-fish, &c. &c. Mr. Noll states (J. f. O. 1864, p. 394) that he 

 has seen the Coot dive and pick shells from the bottom of a pond, place them on the bank, or 

 on a patch of water-plants, open them at the hinder end and extract the contents, leaving the 

 empty shells behind. He surprised one in the act of doing this, and found a quantity of empty 

 broken shells, mostly of Anodonta ponderosa, and one of Unio tumidus, which had evidently been 

 quite recently fished up from the bottom, as the outside of the shell was moist and the animal 

 still alive. In this shell the larger end had already been pecked and broken into. 



The Coot often feeds at night as well as by day ; and in Egypt, where it is often found in 

 vast swarms, the fishermen net many by night. Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., who gives a good 

 account of this mode of catching Coot (Eambl. Nat. pp. 94, 95), says that a party of four or five 



