FULICA AMERICANA, AMERICAN COOT. 541 



Hab. — United States, southerly. Resident in the Southern States. Northward to 

 Massachusetts rarely, to Canada West, Kansas, Minnesota, and San Francisco. 

 West Indies. Central America. South America to Chili. 



Not obtained by the Expeditions. 



I have not taken occasion to institute direct comparison of specimens, but believe 

 that our bird will be found to be merely a variety of the European G. cMoropus, as held 

 by Drs. Hartlaub and Fiusch, and as indicated in my work above cited. 



Included in tbe present connection on the strengtli of its occurrence 

 in Kansas, as by tlie foregoing authority. Its dispersion in tropical 

 America is general and very extensive. In the United States it appears 

 to extend regularly only to the Middle districts, though apparently 

 breeding occasionally in Massachusetts, and recorded as "common" 

 about Hamilton, Canada West, as well as occurring in Minnesota. It 

 winters in the South Atlantic and Gulf States. 



FULICA AMEEICANA, Gm. J- m- 



American Coot ; Mud Hen. 



Fulica amcricana, Gm., Svst. Nat. i, 1788, 704. — Lath., Ind. Orn. ii, 1790, 779 {Cinereous 

 Coot of Gen. Syu. v, 279).— Bp., Obs. Wils. ie2.5, No. 234 ; Syn. 1828, 338 ; List, 



1838, 53.— Sw. & Rich., F. B. A. ii, 1831, 404.— Sab., Frank. Journ. 690.— Nutt., 

 Man. ii, 1834, 229.— Aud., Orn. Biog. iii, 1835, 291 ; v, 1839, 568 ; pi. 239 ; Syn. 



1839, 212 ; B. Am. v, 1842, 138, pi. 305.— Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 751.— Coues, Key, 

 1872, 275 ; and of all late American writers. — Hartl., J. f. 0. i, 1854, extra-h. 

 87 ; 18.55, 99.— Gundl., J. f. O. iv, 1856, 430 (Cuba).— Bry., Pr. Bost. Soc. vii, 

 1859 (Balaamas). — Gosse, B. Jam. 1847, 304 (Jamaica). — Leot., Ois. Trinidad, 

 504 (casually).— GUNDL., Rep. Fis. i, 363 (Cuba).— Scl., Ibis, i, 1859, 230 (Guar 

 teniala).— Newt., Hid. 260 (Santa Cruz).— Scl., P. Z. S. 1857, 206 ; 1859, 369.— 

 MooKE, P. Z. S. 1859, 64.— Scl., P. Z. S. 1861, 81 (Jamaica) ; 1866, 179 (Mexico).— 

 Reinh., Ibis, iii, 1861, 12 (Greenland). — Lawr., Ann. Lye. N. Y viii, 1864, 101 

 CSombrero).— Scl. A: Salt., P. Z. S. 1868, 468, f. 10.— Sund., OlV. Vet. Ak. 1869, 

 587 (St. Bartholomew).— Salv., P. Z. S. 1870, 219 (Veraj^ua).— Dall & B.vkn., 

 Tr. Chic. Acad, i, 1869, 293 (Alaska).— RiDGW., Ann. Lye. N. Y. x, 1874, 387 

 (Illinois). 



Fuhca wilsoni, Steph., Shaw's Gen. Zool. xii, 1824, 236. 

 Fnlica atra, Wils., Am. Orn. ix, 1825, 61, pi. 73, f. 1. 



Hah. — Entire temperate North America. Alaska (Dall). Greenland (Rcinhardf). 

 Mexico. West Indies. Central America. In South America replaced by an allied 

 form. 



List of specimens. 



Lieutenant Warren's Expedition. — 8906, Upper Missouri ; 8907, Loup Fork of Platte. 

 Later Expeditions. — 59874-6, Colorado ; 60773, North Platte. 



Not only is the Coot extensively and very generally dispersed over 

 l)forth America, but, unlike most water-birds, its breeding range is 

 almost etinally wide. It has been observed to nest in various parts of 

 r>ritish America, in New England, in the Missouri region, along tho 

 Pacilic coast, and in the Gulf States. There is, nevertheless, a regular 

 migration in the spring and fall, when, in company with other water- 

 fowl, most of the Coots pass through on their way to or from tlie rather 

 nortlierly regions where thej' especially breed, only a few lingering in 

 suitable i)laces along the route to nest. It ai)pears that. the whole body 

 of the birds leave the British Provinces and even the northern tier of 

 States ill tlu' fall to winter in the Southern States and beyond ; some 

 penetrating into Mexico, the West Indies, and Central America. 

 • During the migrations, and e.s])ecially that of the fall, the species is 

 fre(|U<Mitly exposed for sale in our markets, and T have observed the 

 bird in every i)()rtioii of our country where I have been, at one season 



