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THE COOT. 
guards against them ; preventing the nests being 
carried away, by ingeniously fastening the materials 
of which they are made to the rushes or osiers near 
them; but at the same time, these fastenings are of 
such a nature as to allow of the nests rising with 
the water, so that no ordinary flood would expose 
them to the danger of immersion. The Coot, like 
the Water-Hen, covers her nest, and, if not so 
effectually, yet with a most extraordinary rapidity. 
We have repeatedly watched a Coot quietly sitting 
on her nest: if the boat approaches, she rises, and 
immediately begins pecking away, right and left, 
which she continues to do till the enemy is so near, 
that she is compelled to decamp for her own pre- 
servation. In this short time, however, she almost 
always contrives to cover the eggs ; and though 
the nest itself remains a very conspicuous object, 
a careless observer might pass it as deserted and 
empty. 
When the young are hatched, they look more 
like little puff-balls than the bodies of birds, with 
their bright red heads sticking out like handles. 
For some days, they lead a weary life, exposed as 
they are to the attacks of pike, and we believe of 
rats, which devour numbers of them, in spite of 
the flouncings and flappings of the poor mother, 
who in vain tries to drive away the intruder. It 
is surprising, indeed, how any of them escape ; for 
though they are tolerably active, no efforts of theirs 
are sufficient to elude the swift, unerring, open- 
mouthed dart of a voracious pike. Against other 
enemies, they can make a better defence ; and 
we have frequently witnessed the beautiful instinct 
