S46 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



calls young with a croaking " gok-gok." Often flies at night,, 

 calling " keck-keck-keck." 



Breeding-habits. — Found not only on all stagnant waters,, 

 and almost every small pond, but also nests freely by banks of 

 rivers and streams. Nest. — Often among aquatic plants in water 

 or near water's edge, but also frequently in thorn-bushes near 

 water, or among branches of trees and has been known to 

 use old nests of Rook, Magpie, Wood-Pigeon and Sparrow- 

 Hawk, generally built of dead reeds, flags, sedge, etc. Eggs. — 

 Usually 5 to 10, but occasionally up to 16, while 19 to 21 eggs have 

 been found in one nest. Probably all records of over 14 eggs are 

 due to two or more females laying together, as well as some of 

 smaller numbers. Colour whitish-grey to buff or greenish with 

 suffused red-brown spots and bluish-ash shellmarks. Average of 

 100 British eggs, 44.44x31.41. Max. : 54x31.5 and 46.6X34.2. 

 Min. : 36.5x26.6 mm. Breeding -season. — Occasionally at begin- 

 ning March, usually from April onward. Incubation. — Probably by 

 both sexes, but more evidence desirable. Period variable ; usually 

 20-22 days but Kelso records 15-17 and once 28 days (last probably 

 abnormal). Two or three broods. 



Food. — Chiefly vegetable, but also to some extent includes animal 

 matter. Grass, cereals, fruit (apple, plum, pear, blackberry, ivy, 

 yew, hawthorn, rowan, sea-buckthorn, elder, etc.), also seeds of 

 Polygonum, Ranunculus, Potamogeton, Rumex, Sparganium, fruits 

 of Nymphcea, Nuphar, and seeds of several species of trees, in- 

 cluding elm, and floating aquatic plants, such as duck-weed. Also 

 worms, small mollusca, occasionally eggs and insects, including 

 coleoptera, larvae of lepidoptera, hymenoptera, diptera, neuroptera 

 (Phryganeidce) ; also aphides and frog -hopper (Philcenus). 

 Distribution. — British Isles. — Resident. Generally distributed, 

 but scarce in northern Shetlands. Subject to local movements, and 

 some evidence of immigration and emigration in autumn, 1st week 

 Oct. to early Dec, and immigration south and west coasts in spring, 

 1st week March to 2nd week April ; so probably a passage-migrant 

 also, in small numbers. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Europe generally, and N. Africa from 

 Algeria and Marocco to Egypt, on passage in Atlantic Isles, east- 

 wards to Turkestan and apparently Transcaspia. Casual Faeroes 

 and Iceland. Generally resident, but northern birds move south- 

 wards in cold weather, to Mediterranean countries. Replaced by 

 allied forms in tropical Africa and Madagascar, greater part of Asia, 

 America, Hawaiian and other islands. 



Genus FULICA L. 



Fulica Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 152 (1758 — Type by Linnean 

 tautonymy "fulica" i.e. Fulica alra). 



At once recognizable by lateral lobes on toes, reminding one of 

 those of Podiceps. Middle toe with claw considerably longer than 



