GRALLATORES. 329 



Gallinida cMoropus of Europe ; and the garter above the knee 

 is more brilliantly coloured with red and yellow than in that 

 species. When disturbed, it readily eludes pursuit by running 

 with great swiftness into a place of safety. It swims with 

 considerable ease and buoyancy, and its food consists of 

 various aquatic insects and small shelled mollusks. 



The female is smaller than the male, and the colours of her 

 bill are often brighter. 



The whole of the plumage greyish black, with the exception 

 of the back and scapularies, which are deep brown, and the 

 primaries and tail, which are nearly a pure black ; under tail- 

 coverts black in the centre and white on the sides ; frontal 

 plate orange ; base of the bill blood-red, tip greenish yellow ; 

 above the knee a garter of yellow and scarlet ; joints of the 

 legs and feet green ; under surface of the legs and feet olive; 

 sides of the tarsi and frontal plates of the toes yellow ; frontal 

 plates of the tarsi yellow, those nearest the knee stained with 

 scarlet ; irides olive. 



Total length 15 inches ; bill IJ ; wing 8 ; tail 3 ; tarsi 2^. 



Genus FULICA, Linnceus. 



Coots are found in nearly every part of the great continent 

 of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, and one species in 

 Australia, where it represents the Fidica atra of Europe. 



Sp. .568. EULICA AUSTRALTS, Gould. 



Australian Coot. 



Fulica australis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xiii. p. 2. 



// 

 Mool-ya-wiii-doo (Ugly Nose), and 



II 

 Gid-jee-broon, Aborigines of Western Australia. 



Fulica australis, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. vi. pi. 74. 

 That a true Coot should be found in Australia need not 



