MOOR-HEN — COOT. 
145 
MOOR-HEN. Gallinula chloovpus (Linnaeus). 
“ Water-hen.” 
Resident and common ; breeding within, and quite close to, Leicester. — 
Often flying at night with loud cries, as remarked by Harley, who wrote : — “ On 
wing it emits, in its nocturnal flight, a quick, grating, uneasy cry, which may be 
heard some furlongs distant. The cry may be described as ‘ tuck, tuck,’ repeated 
only at intervals wide apart.” The Museum Donation-book records, under date 
23rd Feb., 1853, one presented by IMr. Dalby, shot at Ilston-on-the-Hill, “ remark- 
able for being destitute of the slightest vestige of the hinder toes.” 
On 26th April, 1885, Wilson, of the Aylestone Mill, brought me eight young 
ones just hatched, leaving another, which he lost. The colours of the bare 
places on their heads were very beautiful, glowing with cerulean blue and bright 
crimson. The following day I procured the nest, male, and female, for the 
IMuseum. These birds sometimes build away from water, or in branches of trees 
high up above the water, a fact noted in the ‘Zoologist,’ 1869, p. 1723, where it 
is stated that, at Stoughton Grange, on 23rd April of that year, a nest was found 
built on a tree-stump overgrown with ivy, about twenty-five feet above the water ; 
it contained young ones, which tumbled into the water from that height on hearing 
the call of their parents. 
In Rutland. — As in Leicestershire. 
COOT. Fulica atra (Linnaeus). 
“ Bald Coot.” 
Resident, but unevenly distributed. — Mr. Babington (Appendix ‘ Potter,’ 
p. 69) said : — “ Groby Pool and Barret Pool.” One was shot by Mr. J. Grewcock, 
at Belgrave, close to Leicester, during a snowstorm on 23rd Jan., 1886. 
Breeds at Bosworth, “ Frog-hollow” Pond at Belvoir, Groby Pool, Saddington 
Reservoir, and other places in the county. The Museum contains a nest and five 
eggs taken at Saddington in June, 1885, and another nest with ten eggs which I 
obtained at the same place on 25th May, 1886. The Rev. John B. Reynardson, of 
Careby Rectory, Stamford, writing upon the habits of this bird, gives me the 
following note : — “ I suppose you know, when the water is rising from flood, both 
. birds will work hard with leaves and grass to raise the nest and save their eggs 
from being flooded. This interesting sight I have seen.” 
I am not sure if it has ever been recorded that the male often, during the 
breeding season, arches his wings and ploughs through the water in exactly the 
same manner as the Swan. I am also uncertain whether this singular habit is due 
to his wishing to ingratiate himself with his partner, or as a mark of defiance to 
other males. 
In Rutland. — As in Leicestershire. 
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