THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
“ I think they lay an egg every day, and they sit as soon as the last egg is 
laid. They usually begin to breed in October (but sometimes do so in August) at 
which time they become noisy and quarrelsome, but I have found most nests 
with eggs in November. The young leave the nest at once. The Circus gouldi 
ure their greatest enemies. On one occasion I saw a Harrier attack a Bald Coot 
and every time the Harrier swooped down, the Coot jumped up some distance 
to the attack. If two Harriers attack one Coot, it avoids the onslaught by 
diving. 
‘‘ The 1910 season from May to December was very wet, constant rains 
keeping all lagoons and rivers frequently in flood. The Tasmanian Bald Coots 
had many of their first-made nests completely covered by the continued rising 
of the waters, and in many instances were driven to making their nests right 
out amongst the tussocks along the edge of the lagoons. In other cases, the 
birds added and added until the nests were several storeys high. 
“ When the sword-grass tussocks were chosen for the site of the nest, the 
inside or centre was opened and forced apart, and the nest itself was made of 
silky tussocky-grass. In several patches around the lagoon the extent of torn 
up tussocks of this grass was quite a sight to see. Should the birds be at work 
when the observer came along, they would run towards the reeds, then flop 
heavily down among the far outer ridge of reeds. I could never surprise a bird 
actually carrying material. 
“ Similar to the habit of the T. mortieri this Coot appears to build several 
large and conspicuously placed nests, generally on the ground. As far as I 
have observed these are simply ‘ decoys,’ for they are not used, and are 
apparently constructed to mislead birds of prey. Later on masses of excreta, 
or sometimes ejected ‘ chewed-up ’ reeds, show that these ‘ decoy ’ nests 
are used as resting-places. 
“ My observations show that a pair always keep within touch of the nest 
they are constructing, or in which an unfinished clutch is lying ; the parents 
or owners searching for their food in its near surroundings. This season these 
birds even resorted to adding strips of gum bark to assist in the stability of 
their home. 
“ I also found nests of these birds along the banks of the Macquarie River, 
which were made in the centre of five feet high clumps of round, green reeds 
growing in certain bends of this river. Some of the nests found contained 
young, others chipping or fresh eggs. 
‘‘One nest found on 19.11.10 contained three young ones and a chipping 
egg. The chicks were clothed completely in black down, against which the light 
red of their feet, helmet and bill showed out in contrast. I always think they 
are much prettier than the Tribonyx chickens. When I put my hand in the 
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