. Birds and their nests and eggs : found in and near great towns . resembled a moorhen in general appearance,but was larger and stouter^ with a morepointed tail and also had a dull white orflesh-coloured beak, as well as a white patchon his head in front. This mark is very dis-tinctive, and has bestowed on him the nameof Bald Coot or Baldicoot. He has anarrow white line across the wing to relievehis general blackness, but this is not wellseen from a distance ; the legs and feet aregreen. The toes are peculiar, being expandedon both sides into flat round membranes eachthe size of half a sixpenc
. Birds and their nests and eggs : found in and near great towns . resembled a moorhen in general appearance,but was larger and stouter^ with a morepointed tail and also had a dull white orflesh-coloured beak, as well as a white patchon his head in front. This mark is very dis-tinctive, and has bestowed on him the nameof Bald Coot or Baldicoot. He has anarrow white line across the wing to relievehis general blackness, but this is not wellseen from a distance ; the legs and feet aregreen. The toes are peculiar, being expandedon both sides into flat round membranes eachthe size of half a sixpence, two or three toeach toe. These add greatly to its swimmingpowers, and it spends much of its time onthe water like a duck. Though thus partiallyweb-toed, the bird is said to be a much betterpercher than the moorhen, and to be ableeven to climb a tree, being assisted in thisrespect by strong claws. It uses these toeswith good effect in fighting, like the domesticcock. The birds single kraak is like themoorhens cry but sharper and in a higher LAST WEEK W MAY 127. Pl \ii XWIX : He KsLiiibled a moorhen in appear-ance, but was larger and stouter, and had a whitepatch on his head in front. Coot, young male size . key. It is said to be uttered before badweather. 128 A VISIT TO POCHARD ISLAND~ I do not know if these coot remained inthese waters the whole winter. Many areconstant residents in this country, but somemigrate. In flight they keep their legsstretched out behind, as does the moorhenand also the heron. Migration, as in thecase of most birds, is effected at night , when rising on the wing, seem to havesome difliculty in doing so, as they make asplash in the water with their feet.^ Theirfood is chiefly small fish and water insectsand the buds and leaves of aquatic plants. Close to the nest we noticed a patch ofrushes pressed down into a round might have been the spot first chosenfor the nest, as they often build on land closeto water. But they were wise in
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