750 MR. W. G. CLARKE ON BIRD-LIFE OF THE MERES. 
in plumage than the female. When floating on the water the 
line of white visible on each side just above the water-level is 
a conspicuous feature. A pair of Tufted Duck rose the same 
day from the Home Mere, the only ducks I have ever seen 
thereon. On the many other occasions I have seen Tufted 
Duck on these meres — I counted over eighty on Fowlmere on 
March 22nd, 1908— I have had many opportunities of observ- 
ing their ways. From a distance the crest is not as a rule 
visible unless ruffled by a strong breeze, but is plainly notice- 
able when the neck of the bird is bent preparatory to diving. 
There is one species of bird almost always to be seen on one 
or the other of the meres and that is the Coot, and I have seen 
as many as 200 at one time. On June 9th, 1907, there were 
three Coots and two nestlings on Ringmere, and on May 23rd, 
1907, at Langmere, Mr. R. A. Cocks photographed a Coot’s nest 
with five eggs. On June 9th, there were two Coots’ nests, 
near one of which were two eggs floating in the water and two 
young Coots in the nest. These nestlings are extremely 
pretty creatures with orange, scarlet and purple on their heads, 
seeming to indicate that at an earlier stage of evolution the 
Coot was much more gorgeously plumaged, but has, perhaps 
for reasons of protection, taken on a far plainer garb. These 
youngsters plunged into the water and remained perfectly 
conspicuous among the weeds with their beaks and the top 
portions of their heads above the surface. There was a big 
flock of Duck and Coot on Langmere on March 22nd, 1908, 
and when my companion and I walked round the mere the 
Coots flew off to the round pond, but returned as quickly as 
possible, some flying, and some walking ungainly across the 
narrow strip of land. There were young Coots on Ringmere 
on May 9th, 1908, and on May 23 there were several nests 
containing eggs by the shore of the mere. The meres furnish 
exceptional opportunities for observation owing to the 
plantation close to the south shore of Ringmere, the furze t 
bracken, elders, hawthorns, and birches on the north ; the 
“ flighting ” shelter and fir trees on the knoll by Langmere ; 
and the firs, hawthorns and alders on the east side of Fowl- 
mere, all giving glimpses of the mere from a hiding-place but 
