Fulica americana -4- Apr 9 Lake Jewell, Tilden Pkgs., Contra Costa Co., Calif. area D swam near some floating grain then veered off as if avoiding it. I entered the cat-tails at C and very quickly a pair of coots came charging across the lake - heads lowered towards my position - they then swam around nervously just out of the cat-tails, moving across to 7 and back again twice. Later I chased a pair out of the cat-tails near the island 1. The smaller left only after considerable protest. May be nesting there, but I was unable to find any sign of nesting - the larger bird joined the other near 3, soon arousing notes from a bird near 5. They then progressed swam across the lake to 8 where they fed for awhile. Both seemed to be diving for the white bases of the stems of young cat-tails. The smaller one was diving in shallow water, barely able to get her whole body under water, and coming up tail first. The larger (7) bird moved over to 9, where it dove for cat-tails for a few minutes, but then moved over towards D where he became lost to view. For the last 1/2 hour the 7 has remained feeding near 8, only once venturing way out towards D. Now, 1:31 p.m. - she is hesitatingly crossing to D. (Maybe cause some one is walking along the road to the east - she went into the same area as the male - giving a single "krrrk" as she