. The popular natural history . Zoology. THE COOT. 39? e^'efy pond or sheet of water where the reedy or rushy banks offer it a ret" ige. When startled it often dives on the instant, and. emerging under floating weeds or rubbish, just pokes its bill above the surface, so that the nostrils are uncovered by the water, and remains submerged until the danger is past, holding itself in the proper position by the grasp of its strong toes upon the weeds. The nesting of this bird is very peculiar. The Water Hen builds a large editice of sedges, sticks, and leaves, either on the bank close to the w
. The popular natural history . Zoology. THE COOT. 39? e^'efy pond or sheet of water where the reedy or rushy banks offer it a ret" ige. When startled it often dives on the instant, and. emerging under floating weeds or rubbish, just pokes its bill above the surface, so that the nostrils are uncovered by the water, and remains submerged until the danger is past, holding itself in the proper position by the grasp of its strong toes upon the weeds. The nesting of this bird is very peculiar. The Water Hen builds a large editice of sedges, sticks, and leaves, either on the bank close to the water's edge, upon little reedy islands, or on low banks overhanging the water, and generally very conspicuous. The mother bird has a habit of scraping leaves and rushes over her eggs when she leaves the nest—not, as some persons fancy, to keep the eggs warm, but to hide them from the prying eyes of crows and magpies, jays, and other egg-devouring I) Vl VIMW V TBSg^^, WATER HEN.—(Ga/A'«a/a Moropus.) The young are able to swim almost as soon as hatched, and for some time remain close to their parents. I once, to my great regret, shot by mistake several young Moor Hens, still in their first suit of black puffy down, and paddling about among the water-lilies and other aquatic herbage where I could not see them. Pike are rather apt to carry off the little creatures, by coming quickly under the weeds and jerking them under water before they take the alarm. The Common Coot, or Bald Coot, as it is sometimes called, is anothe. of our familiar British water-birds, being seen chiefly in lakes, large ponds, and the quiet banks of wide rivers. The habits of the Coot much resemble those of the water hen, and it feeds after a similar fashion upon molluscs, insects, and similar creatures, which it finds either in the water or upon land. The nest of the Coot is a huge edifice of reeds and rank-water herbage, sometimes placed at the edge of the water, and sometimes on little
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1884
