THE AMERICAN COOT. 613 



in a boat — perhaps — she did want to \isit that snail-bed before the snn got too 

 high. So she advances, not without many niisgi\"ing hitclies of tlie liead, 

 across an intervening stretcli of bare water, and disappears beliind a screen of 

 reeds. The passage successfully accomplished, another Mud Hen and another 

 ventures forth, the last one sniffing scornfully over the alleged danger. Con- 

 fidence restored, the invaded precincts begin to re-echo to their wonted sounds 

 of life, splashing and noise of pursuit, and mellow notes of several sorts. Only 

 sit quiet and }-our stranger presence will soon be accepted as matter of course. 



Where unmolested, IMud Hens fill about as large a place in the economy 

 of a well-conducted swamp as do chickens in a barnyard. Especially in the 

 jjreeding season, the sound of their guli)ing call, pulque pulque pulque pulque, 

 is the prevailing note of the swamp. These notes are rendered with tlie head 

 close to the water, and seem to afiford a jjrodigious relief to the Ijird's feelings. 

 The Coot, on fatigue duty, is a very prosy-looking fowl, for the bird ordi- 

 narilv sits half submerged, with lowered wings and tail both sloping into and 

 under the water; but the Coot on dress parade is a very dift'erent-looking fel- 

 low, albeit his uniform is the same. W'hen the ladies are looking, he sits high 

 in the water: the wing-tips are pointed obliquely upward: the tail is held \'er- 

 ticallv or tilted forward : and two white patches of feathers, one on each side 

 of the tail, are flashed into \ie\v and carried pronfinently. 



Courtship is largely a matter of pursuit. In this b()tli pursuer and pur- 

 sued rise, or only half rise, from the water, with much fioimdering and 

 splashing. And they proceed onl_\' a rod or two when both fall back exhausted, 

 the female usually well in advance. This is mere gallantry on the part of the 

 male, and exaggerated pretense on the part of both. When the male is in 

 earnest, the pursuit is carried on under water as well as above it. Much time 

 is spent bv enamored couples in simply gazing into each other's eyes. .\ pair 

 will face each other, beak to beak, with necks stretched out full length upon 

 the water, and paddle about for minutes together in fascinated circles. The 

 hinder parts, meanwhile, are carried high like those of a swan. This 7'is-d-z'is 

 pose is also a menace on the part of rivals, and is the ine\'itable ])reliminary of 

 any cock fight. In this the birds appear to depend upon nail more than upon 

 tooth, for they lean back upon the water, bracing with their wings, behind, 

 and kick at each other most absurdly. After such an episode, which the 

 female, as likely as not, has interrupted, all the interested parties float about 

 with ruffled feathers and outstretched heads laid low, each apparently in a 

 sort of trance of self-satisfaction. 



From a somewhat careful study of these birds during the breeding sea- 

 son, I am inclined to think them polygamous. This is evidenced by the readi- 

 ness with which other cocks are disposed to butt in upon any chase in progress, 

 quite after the manner of the domestic fowl. 



Coots are highly gregarious at all times. Not only do they nest in loose 



