412 
Mr. J. A. Bucknill on the 
lie describes shooting a specimen near Larnaca in early April, 
1887. Glaszner sent Madarasz three examples taken near 
the same place in November and December. I have a note 
of seeing one taken alive in the autumn of 1908, in Limassol 
district; Mr. Baxendale has frequently met with and shot 
the bird near Papho in winter. Horsbrugh found a few at 
Kouklia reservoir near Famagusta in early April, 1909, and 
obtained specimens there ; I had a male brought to me 
alive on April 12th, taken near Nicosia, and another sent to 
me from Acheritou reservoir on May 1st; Horsbrugh also 
saw an individual near Papho on May the 23rd—all in 1909. 
This species is probably a partial resident, but mainly a 
visitor on the migrations and in winter. 
999. Fulica atra Linn. 
It seems curious that the Coot should have escaped notice 
until Pearse sent specimens to Lord Lilford, who did not 
himself meet with the bird. But Schrader states that the 
Coot is found from the end of October until the end of 
February on the marshes and lakes of the island. Guillemard 
does not mention it, but seems to have shot one at Famagusta 
in March. Glaszner sent a male to Madarasz from Larnaca, 
taken in October. 
Lord Lilford was told that this species abounded on the 
fresh and salt water lakes in winter. Whether it used to be 
as common as it is now, I should greatly doubt, but the 
establishment of the large freshwater reservoirs in the 
Famagusta district has created for this—and other aquatic 
birds—an ideal resort as long as there is water. In October 
1901, Miss Bate saw the Kouklia reservoir crowded with 
Coots, and was told that they nested in the corn-fields round 
the edge of the water and that the peasants collected great 
quantities of eggs for food. I have seen them in thousands in 
the winter at both Acheritou and Kouklia, where they breed in 
summer whenever the water is not run off, but they naturally 
leave these localities and the island when the waters are 
dried up or drained off, as was the case in 1908 and 1909. 
The Coot may also be found on the salt-lakes. 
