PHALAROPES. 233 



um.) From the contents of the intestines, which were 

 enormous, aquatic vegetables appeared now to be their 

 principal food. 



In the month of November the Coot leaves the Northern 

 and Middle States, and retires by night, according to its 

 usual habits, to pass the winter in the warmer parts of the 

 Union, and probably extends its journeys along all the 

 shores of the Mexican Gulf 



The length of the American Coot is from 16 to \^\ inches. The 

 length of the bill to the rictus 1 inch 5 lines ; of the tarsus 2 inches 

 1 line ; of the middle toe 2 inches 11 lines. The head and neck 

 velvet-black. Fore part of the back, scapulars, rump, and tail cov- 

 erts, clove-brown, with a greenish tinge. Quills, tail, and vent, 

 pitch-black. Tips of the secondaries, and under tail coverts, white. 

 — Under plumage lead-grey. Bill pale horn color, with a chestnut 

 ring near its tip ; frontal callus dead white, (in some specimens 

 chestnut-brown.) terminating superiorly in a rhomboidal chestnut 

 colored spot. Legs and toes yellowish-green, the scalloped mem- 

 brane mostly lead color. — Male specimens occur of only 15^ inches. 



PHALAROPES. (PnALAROPus.f Briss.) 



In these birds the bill is rather long, straight, weak and slender, 

 both mandibles furrowed to the point, the upper somewhat curved 

 at the extremity, the lower subulate at the point. Nostrils in the 

 furrow, basal, lateral, longitudinal, linear, half covered by a mem- 

 brane. Feet moderate, 4-toed; naked space on the tibia somewhat 

 extensive ; tarsus compressed, the 3 anterior toes bordered by a 

 lobed membrane (as in the Coot.) outer connected at base to the mid- 

 dle toe ; hind toe short, bordered only internally with a small entire 

 membrane, articulated interiorly, touching the ground at tip. Wings 

 long, curved and acute ; the 1st and 2d primaries about equal, and 



t From (Pa\apis, the probable Greek name for the Coot, and ?r»;, the foot Hav- 

 ing the lobed feet of the Coot. 



20* 



