274 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



rising from the water its flight is rather heavy, and the bird has a 

 pecnhar habit of first fluttering or " scutthng " along the surface for 

 some yards, its feet touching the water, but when once well on the 

 wing, it flies swiftly and powerfully. 



It feeds on water plants, as well as on worms, slugs, insects, 

 small fish and molluscs. It is a silent bird as a rule, but has a loud 

 whistling note, uttered chiefly at night. 



Its nest is roughly built of flags and pieces of rushes, placed among 

 aquatic vegetation, sometimes floating, though more often on a solid 

 basis. The eggs, usually seven or eight in number, are of a very pale 

 buff-colour, speckled all over with small dark brown spots, and 

 measure about 50 x 37 mm. 



FULICA CRISTATA, Gmelin. 

 CRESTED COOT. 



Fulioa cristata, Gmcl. Syst. Nat. i, p. 704 (1788) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds 

 Brit. Mus. xxiii, p. 215 ; Malherbc, Fauna Orn. de I'Alg. p. 34 (1855) ; 

 Koenig, J. f. 0. 1888, p. 265; id. J.f. 0. 1893, p. 88. 



Lupha cristata, Loche, Expl. Sci. AUj. Ois. ii, p. 349 (1867). 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Spain. 



Eesembles F. atra, but differs in having two prominent red caruncles on 

 the frontal plate, and in lacking the white tips on the secondary quills. 

 Adult female resembles the male. 



According to Mr. Dresser (Birds of Eur. vii, p. 324), the Crested 

 Coot occurs in Tunisia, Lord Lilford having informed him that he 

 " met with it in the Regency of Tunis, where it was pretty common 

 on the lakes and lagoons in the early winter of 1856." 



I have no knowledge of the species having been met with in 

 Tunisia of recent years, though it may easily have been overlooked. 

 In both Marocco and Algeria it appears to be not uncommon. In the 

 former country, according to Favier {fide Colonel Irby) the species is 

 both resident and migratory near Tangier, associating with F. atra, 

 but being much more numerous than that species. Loche states 

 that it is plentiful and breeds on all the large lakes of Algeria. Canon 

 Tristram also found it breeding numerously on Lake Halloula in 



