582 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1917. 



Specimens of the American coot (b'uiica, americana) , representing 

 the rail family, may be seen in the North American waterfowl lake. 

 This bird, often called the " mud hen," or " crow duck " has a wide 

 distribution in North America. It breeds from central Canadian 

 Provinces south to Texas, Tennessee, and New Jersey; and winters 

 from the Central States to northern South America. In many places 

 the coot is classed as a game bird, and properly cooked it provides 

 a very palatable food. 



An interesting flightless rail from New Zealand, known as the 

 weka, differs greatly from our common members of the family in 

 habits, as it is a bird of the forest and scrub rather than of wet 

 marshes or lakes. Although the wekas have imperfectly developed 

 wings, and are incapable of flight, they are expert climbers and the 

 inclosure in which they are kept must be covered completely. They 

 are of the size of a well-grown pullet and are quarrelsome and mis- 

 chievous, even among others of their own kind. Three species (Ocy- 

 dromus australis, O. brachypterus, and 0. earli), all from South 

 Island, are on exhibition. They were received as a gift from the New 

 Zealand Government. 



SHORE BIRDS, GULLS, AND PIGEONS. 



In most modern systems for the classification of birds, the snipes 

 and plovers, gulls and terns, auks, and pigeons are grouped together 

 in a single order (Charadriiformes), which takes its name from the 

 typical family, the plovers (Charadriidse.) A few species of "shore 

 birds," as the plovers and snipes are usually called, and some 

 gulls, are regularly kept on exhibition; but the chief interest in the 

 order, so far as zoological gardens are concerned is concentrated 

 on the suborder Columbae, the pigeons and doves. 



The shore birds are difficult to keep without the specialty pre- 

 pared quarters which it is hoped the park can sometime arrange; 

 but from the fact that a specimen of the ruff (Philomachus pugnax) 

 was on exhibition in the bird house for over 10 years, the outlook 

 seems encouraging for success with other species of this interesting 

 family. Avocets, stilts, plovers, curlews, and many of the larger 

 snipes, should be as easily kept as the ruff. 



Certain members of the gull family are to be seen in the big flight 

 cage. These include the large herring gull (Lams argentatus), a 

 species common to the northern parts of both Europe and America 

 which has nested here; and the more tropical laughing gull (L. 

 atriciUa), a smaller, more graceful species sometimes called the 

 " black-headed gull." A single specimen of the Great black-backed 

 gull (L. tnarmus) has lived in the park since 1905. "Billy," as he 

 is known to everyone, was still in immature plumage when he ar- 



