PORPHYRIO 115 



ducks are obtainable, having a rank, oily skin, and a great 

 tendency to ossification in the drumstick tendons ! 



Hume, however, says that coots as well as rails and crakes 

 " will furnish a savoury enough dish if, instead of plucking them, 

 you skin them and then soak the bodies for a couple of hours in 

 cold water (which should be changed at least twice) before 

 putting them into the stew-pan, with onions, and, if you can 

 get it, sage." 



When brought to hand, the coot, if not killed dead, will give 

 plenty of proof that it is not a duck by the vigour of its scratches; 

 the feet are not only provided with particularly strong claws, 

 but are webbed in a curious manner, with a separate scalloped 

 bordering web to each toe, for no rail, not even such a very 

 aquatic species as this, has any web hetiveen the toes. Coots 

 walk quite well, but are not often to be seen doing so ; they nest 

 among the aquatic vegetation, or even on the bottom of shallow 

 water, building the nests up into islands, and using a large 

 quantity of material, chiefly rushes. The eggs are pale buff or 

 drab with copious sprinklings of black, and about as big as hens' 

 eggs ; the young chicks are black, but show bright tinting of red, 

 blue, and yellow about the heads. The breeding season is a 

 rather extended one, beginning in May with the birds inhabiting 

 the hills, while in the plains birds are to be found nesting after 

 June ; but a large proportion of the coots to be found in India in 

 winter are only migrants from the north, the bird having a wide 

 range all across the old world, and being familiar in Britain 

 among other European countries, though not nearly so common 

 as the moorhen. Its familiarity to natives is attested by its 

 names, Burra godan in Burmah, and Bolihodi in the Telugu 

 language, while other Hindustani names besides that given above 

 are Khekari, Khuskul, and Ari. 



Porphyrio. 



Povpliyrio ijoliocephalus. Kaim, Hindustani. 



The largest of our rails, and distinguished by its blue colour 

 not only from them, but from all our other waterfowl, the 

 porphyrio is a bird which immediately attracts attention by its 



