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performances that it did not notice 

 our approach. Dropping its head 

 near the ground, with extended neck, 

 it gave a low rumbling sound for a few 

 seconds, suddenly broken by a loud 

 oft repeated call resembling " Keh 

 toong " or " Keh toonk". Each re- 

 petition of the call accompanied by 

 violent contortions as though the bird 

 were suffering from fearful nausea. 



COOT. 



FULICA ATE A L. 



Description. — Length 16 inches. 

 Bill and frontal plate white. Legs 

 green, toes half webbed. Iris red. 



The plumage is entirely black or 

 greyish black. 



The black under tail-coverts readily 

 distinguish the Coots from the Water- 

 hens. 



In yo7ing birds the upper plumage 

 is brown and the lower plumage partly 

 white. 



Distribution. — Almost cosmopolitan 

 It is a resident in the Yangtse Valley. 



Nests and Eggs. — The nest and eggs, 

 of the Indian bird are thus described. 

 " The nest is a huge mass of green 

 rushes and weeds, sometimes in 

 shallow water, sometimes floating 

 amongst reeds. The eggs 7 to 10, or 

 even 12 in number, are grey or pale 

 brown, minutely speckled with black 

 with a few larger purplish-black spots." 



These other members of this family 

 also occur as summer visitants in the 

 Yangtse Valley, but are less likely to be 

 seen than those already described : — 



Hypotaenidia jouvi (Stej.), Blue- 

 breasted Banded Bail, 



