PORPHYRIOLA.—FULICA. 329 
built at a height of two or three feet from the ground among green reeds and flags. 
The eggs are from five to seven in number, and are of a pinkish-cream colour, closely 
speckled with minute dots of chocolate-brown and underlying pale purple; the 
markings are very small and distinct. 
Subfam. FULICINA. 
The Coots, though closely allied in structure and general appearance, as well as in 
plumage, to the Rails and Moor-hens, especially to the latter, differ from them in their 
lobed and Grebe-like feet, having the toes furnished with scalloped webs. ‘They are 
spread over the greater part of the globe, not extending to the Arctic Regions, but 
breeding in the temperate portions of the Old and New Worlds, being especially 
plentiful in South America, where the majority of the species occur, only one 
inhabiting our region. 
FULICA. 
Fulica, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 257 (1766); Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 209 (1894). 
The characters of the genus are the same as those of the subfamily. 
“1. Fulica americana. 
Fulica americana, Gm, Syst. Nat. i. p. 7047; Scl. P.Z.S. 1557, p. 206°; 1859, p. 369°; 1864, 
p. 179*; Moore, P.Z. 8. 1859, p. 64°; Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 230°; 1860, p. 45" 
P. Z.S. 1868, p. 468"; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. ix. p. 143°; Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. un. 
p. 812"; Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 50"; Duges, La Nat. i. p. 142°%; v. Frantz. 
J. £. Orn. 1869, p. 375°; Salv. P. Z.S. 1870, p. 219"; Ibis, 1889, p. 378°; Sumichr. 
La Nat. v. p. 229"; Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. Water-Birds N. Amer. i. p. 393 7; Ferrari- 
Perez, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. ix. p.177°; Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. pp. 186, 827; Stone, 
Pr. Acad. Philad. 1890, p. 217”; Richm. Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. xvi. p. 528”; Allen, Bull. 
Amer. Mus. N. H. v. p. 33; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 221 *. ALO. U. 
Check-list N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 81°; Oates, Cat. Eggs Brit. Mus. i. p. 131”. 
Fulica atra (nec Linn.), Licht. Preis-Verz. Mex. Vég. p. 3%; Cab. J. f. Orn. 1863, p. 59”. 
Fulica leucopyga, Wagler, Isis, 1831, p. 518”. 
Sordide schistacea, remigibus cinerascenti-brunneis, ale spurie plumis et primario externo albo limbatis ; 
secundariis quoque albo terminatis, intimis dorso concoloribus ; pileo et collo undique nigerrimis; corpore 
reliquo subtus schistaceo, abdomine pallidiore, plumis anguste albo limbatis; subcaudalibus nigris, 
lateralibus albis; subalaribus cinereis, vix albido limbatis: rostro lacteo, apice cerulescente et utringue 
macula brunnea ornato; chlamyde saturate castanea, antice flavicante; pedibus late flavicanti-viridibus, 
tibie parte nuda aurantiaco-rubra, digitis clarius cinereis, scutellis flavicanti-viridi indicatis. Long. tota 
14:5, ale 7°8, caude 2-0, culm. 1-2, tarsi 2°25. (Deser. av. adulti ex Lake of Duefas. Mus. nostr.) 
Hab. Norta America, from Greenland and Alaska southward *°.—MExtco (Wagler 9, 
Deppe & Schiede ** **), Sonora, Pachico, Cachuta (Robinette 2*), Matamoros (Dres- 
ser 17), Tamesi, Tampico (Richardson **), Mazatlan (Grayson }°, Forrer *4), Colima 
(Xantus 1°), Guanajuato, Guadalajara (Dugés ”), Valley of Mexico (Herrera }9 2°), 
BIOL. CENTR.-AMER., Aves, Vol. IIL, April 1903. 42 
