RALLID^ — FULICIN^: COOTS. 861 



lONOR'NIS. (Gr. Xov, ion, a violet; opwy, ornis, a bird; alluding to the rich blue color.) 

 Sultana Gallinliles. Hyacinths. Pohphyrios. General character of (zaZZumZa ; bill 

 very stout and high, shorter tliau head, the small nostrils near its middle, oval. Tarsi longer 

 than in Gallinula, in comparison with the toes, and scutellate on inner posterior aspect. Toes 



Fio. 602. — Florida GalUnule. (L. A. Fuertes.) 



without lateral margins. Plumage beautiful with rich blue, etc. A small genus of two 



American species, closel}' related to the larger genus Porphyria, which contains several Old 



World species of Purple Water-hens or Sultanas. 



I. marti'nica. (Of Martinique. Fig. 601.) PuRPLK Gallinule. Adult (^ 9 : Head, 



neck, and under parts beautiful purj)lish-blue, blackening ou belly ; sides and lining of wings 



bluish-green; crissum white. Above, olivaceous green, cervix and wing-coverts tinted with 



blue. Quills and tail-feathers blackish, glossed on outer webs with greenish. Frontal shield 



blue; bill carmine, tipped with yellow; legs yellow. The frontal shield is obovate, with a 



point behind. Young with head, neck, and lower back brownish ; under parts mostly white, 



mixed witli ochrey. Length 12.00-14.00; extent about 22.00; 



wing G..50-7.r)0 ; tail 2. .50-8.00; bill from gape about 1.25 ; along 



culmen, and including frontal shield about 1.90, but very variable 



in this measurement ; tarsus 2.25 or more ; middle toe and claw 



about 3.00. S. Atlantic and Gulf States, N . casually to Nova 



Scotia, New England, Ontario, Nebraska, Wisconsin, etc. ; resident 



southerly. Also inhabits mucli of Central and South America, 



and the West Indies. Eggs G-IO or more, creamy or very pale 



buff, sparingly spotted and dotted with brown and neutral tint, 



especially about the larger end ; 1.55 X 1-15. 



Subfamiiy FULICIN/E: Coots. 



Bill and frontal plate much as in Gallinules. Body depressed ; 



under plumage thick and duck-like, to resist water. Feet highly 



natatorial ; toes, including hinder, lobate, being furnished with 



large setnicircidar membranous Haps. Coots are eminently aquatic 



birds, swimn)ing with ease, by means of their lobate feet, like 



Phalaropes and Grebes; but this ability results from very slight Fio. 603. - FronUl shield of 



,.« . - , , , T» ., , .-, 11. 1 rni a species of Coot, 



moditication ot a structure shared by Hails and (Jallmules. There 



are about 12 species, of both hemispheres, distinguished, among other characters, by size and 



shape of the frontal shield. That figured (fig. 603) is of an exotic species, much larger thau 



that oi Ftilica americana, and differently shaped. One species {F. cornuin) is remarkable for 



