FULICA. 563 
Genus FULICA. 
The genus Fulica was included by Linneus, in 1766, in the twelfth edition 
of his ‘Systema Nature’ (i. p. 257). The Common Coot (the Fulica 
fulica of Brisson) is the type. 
The birds in this genus are distinguished by having the toes furnished 
with a broad scolloped membrane, and have a broad shield on the forehead 
at the base of the bill; the tail is very short and rounded, and consists of 
twelve feathers. 
This genus contains about a dozen species, which are distributed through- 
out the world, with the exception of the Arctic Region. Two species are 
found on the continent of Europe, one of which is a common resident in 
the British Islands. 
The Coots very closely resemble the Waterhens in their habits and the 
places they frequent, but show more partiality for salt-water. They are 
most active during the dusk of evening and early in the morning; they 
swim and dive with the greatest ease, and on the land walk and run with 
facility. They are more or less gregarious, especially in winter. Their 
eall-notes are loud and harsh. Their food consists of aquatic insects, 
mollusks, worms, buds and shoots of water-plants, and seeds of various 
kinds. Their nests are large bulky structures, often built in the water, 
and made of fine and coarse pieces of aquatic vegetation. Their eggs are 
numerous, buffish white in ground-colour, spotted and speckled pretty 
evenly with light and dark brown. 
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