4.’ THE, NATURAL HISTORY 
much out of its element, and feels fo aukward, 
that it will fuffer itfelf to be caught by the hand. 
They remain all day long upon pools, which 
they prefer to rivers; they only fet their feet 
- upon land to walk from one pool to another ; and 
when the pools are diftant, they fly there ; their 
flight is very high, and generally i in the night. 
‘Coots, like many other water-fowl], fee well | 
with little light. The old ones moftly feed in 
the night. ‘They remain concealed amongft the 
rufhes the greater part of the day; and when 
they are difturbed they hide themfelves, and even 
' plunge into the mud, rather than fly away. It 
_ feems as though they began their flight with fome 
difficulty, they are fo unwilling to yas either from 
_ the land or from the water. ae 
‘Young Coots are lefs fearful of sones er _ 
“Yefs careful: they appear at all hours in the — 
day: they fport, raifing themfelves upright one 
oppofite to the other, leaping out of the wa- 
ter, and falling back again. They fuffer the 
fowler to come near, yet they keep their eyes upon 
im, and dive the very inftant they fee the flath of 
the powder, fo as often to efcape the Mots. 5°, @ 
- But later in the feafon, when the Coots have — 
left the {mall pools, and are ¢ col ected into confider- 
, able 

