A solitary example is recorded by Reinhardt as having
straggled to Greenland in 1876, and that Peninsula has
also been visited by the North American representative,
Fulica amencana, which may be distinguished from the
European bird by its white lateral under tail-coverts.
Golonel.Hawker, in his Instructions td: Young Sportsmen
says, “ If. a gentleman wishes to have plenty' of wild-fowl
on his pond, let him preserve the Coots, and keep no tame
Swans. The reason that all wild-fowl seek the company'of
the Coots is because these birds are such good sentries, to
give the alarm by day, when the fowl generally sleep.”
The Coot is seldom seen on dry land, and -itsjpajpu jhf
active progression on shore has been doubfeed^ibut instead
of being awkward on land, it. is fully as lively as in the
water, standing firmly and steadily, and without any,bettering
or waddling in its gait, und ■ running .with amazing
rapidity on the ooze. -It; picks up grain with surprising
alacrity, even much quicker than any of Qurvldo-uiestic
poultry. If deprived of water on which-to; pass the .night,
it will roost, as other land birds, upon any e la te d ., situation,
and it will ascend a tree' witb-the a^fciyity of a Wren.
In reference to the- power of its claws, the sportsman’s book
already referred to contains the following oaution^-^AReware
of a winged Coot, or he will scratch you like a cat.’b
Coots feed on aquaticuusects, worms, slugs, and various
portions of-vegetable matter.- , ..They, breeder many parts
of England, forming a n'est^ctf flagsr .among reeds*&f>en the
margins of lakes, ponds, and rivers. < Hewitson .says that
“ hq has. had opportunities o.f examining many of»: their
nests. They, are large,- and apparently .clumsy -at. first, sight,
but are amazingly strong and compact;., they are', sometimes
built -on a tuft" of rushes, but more commonly amongst.-reeds;
some are -supported by those, fhat lie prostrate. the water,
whilst others have;%ei| -founda%ps‘at its-bottom, aniare
raised till they bpcomqjrom six ,to)twelye inches -.above- its
surface, sometimes in a depth of one- and a half or .two feet.
So firm are some-jgf them, that, whilst up, -tp,,th« knees..i-n
water, they affor^l me a seat sufficiently string to .support
my weight. They are composed of flags and broken reeds,
finer towards the inside, and contain from seven to tern eggs,”
These are stone colour, speckled over with nutmeg-browh,
and measure about 2*08 by 1*5 in. Bewick mentions that a
Bald Coot built her nest-in Sir W. Middleton’s lake, at
Belsay, Northumberland, among the rushes, which were
afterwards loosened by the wind, and, of course,- the nest
was driven about, and floated upon the surface of the water,
in every direction; notwithstanding which, the female continued
to sit as usual, and brought out her young upon her
movable habitation. Some broods appear towards the end
of May, others in June. The young quit the nest soon
after they are hatched, and leave -it entirely after three or
four days,-to follow their-parents, who are very, careful of
them.
Sir Thomas Browne, of Norwich, when writing of British
Birds, about 1685.,- says, § Coots are in very great flocks on
the broad waters. Upon the appearance of a Kite or Buz??
zard, I have -seen them unite from all parts of the shore in
strange numbers; when, if the Kite stoop near them, they
will fling up, and spread' such a flash of water with their
wings; that they will endanger the Kite, and so. keep him off
again and again in open opposition.” Tn confirmation of
.this Lord.Lilford writes: “ It is very common 'in, winter
on the lakes o f, Epirus, in which country I have.;.- several
times observed the singular manner in which a flock of these
birds defend themselves against 'the White-tailed Eagle.
On the appearance over them of; oifeuof these birds, they
collect in a dense body, and when the Eagle stoops at them
they throw up a sheot of water with their feet and completely
baffle their, enemy; in one instance, on .a- small- lake
near Butrinto| rthejy so drenched the Eagle- that it.was with
difficulty thathe reached a tree on the: shore, not.'more than
a hundred yards, from thé spot where he attacked them.
They seemed -to take véry little notice of'the- Spotted'Eagles,
Harriers, Buzzards, &c.f, but on the appearance of -Bonelli s
Eagle would scatter off'-to4-the covert'of the rreeds: with which
most of the lakes are thickly fringed. I never,- however „