COOT. 



FULICA ATRA, Linn. 



Fulica atra, Linn. S. N. i. p. 257 (1766) ; Naum. ix. p. 635 ; 

 Macg. iv. p. 560 ; Hewitson, ii. p. 380 ; Yarr. ed. 4, hi. 

 p. 171 ; Dresser, vii. p. 327. 



Foulque noire, Macroule, French; Wasserhuhn, Mohren- 

 huhn, Bldsshuhn, German ; Mancon, Gallareta, 

 Spanish. 



This bird is more or less common on all large sheets 

 of fresh water whose banks or islands afford good covert 

 of reeds and other aquatic vegetation during the summer 

 months. It is also frequently to be met with on our 

 deep and sluggish rivers, and in severe weather the 

 Coots crowd to the open estuaries and mud-flats on our 

 coasts. On our main river, the Nen, in Northampton- 

 shire, the Coot is not abundant, but some years ago, 

 being anxious to establish some of these birds near 

 Lilford as an attraction to wild fowl, I obtained some 

 eggs from the " Broads " of Norfolk, and put them into 

 the nests of Water-Hens. Every egg thus located was 

 hatched out, and for many years we had a small but 

 flourishing " Cootery " within sight of the house ; but I 

 regret to say that the Coots have now left us for some 



