Vol. XXIII 

 1906 



1 Braislin, Florida Gallinule Nesting near New York. 193 



"I found several nests, all empty, and it was evident that we 

 were too late for eggs. The nests were all like the very first one 

 mentioned and composed of compactly matted reeds placed at the 

 base of a little clump of cattails (usually slightly isolated). The 

 beds of the nests were very close to the surface of the water and the 

 structures were not unusually large, as is often the case with rails 

 and gallinules. All the nests I found were close to the edge of 

 open water, not in thick reed beds. It was in precisely such a 

 place that I saw, from a railway train in Jersey City, my only 

 previous Gallinule May 28, 1904." 



The observation of these birds at this place which, unless our 

 attention had been directed here, would have seemed more unlikely 

 than the average empty city lot to yield bird "finds". 



The evidence of the nest and eggs of the Gallinule collected in 

 the ponds, the continued presence of the birds throughout the 

 spring and summer, and the ultimate appearance of young birds, 

 are conclusive as to the breeding of the Gallinules. 



As to the Coots {Fulica americana) no positive evidence is as 

 yet established beyond the fact of its presence at a late date, 

 June 28, 1904, at the ponds, as the observation of the Messrs. 

 Hendrickson unquestionably shows. The following quotation 

 from Mr. W. F. Hendrickson's letter establishes probability at 

 least that the Coots as well as the Gallinules nest in the ponds. 



"On the morning of the 28th June (1904) while passing the 

 ponds south of my house I saw two Coots. The train was going 

 out of the yard very slowly, when my attention was attracted by 

 a movement at the edge of a small triangular pond, overgrown 

 with cattails. I looked, and saw a Coot standing in shallow 

 water feeding within ten feet of the track, and it never moved as 

 the train passed. A short distance further on I saw another 

 swimming across some open water. The white bills stood out 

 very clearly, and I also saw the white feathers of the wings. My 

 identification is as positive as it could be without having the birds 

 in hand. These birds are undoubtedly nesting there and if you 

 care to come up again to make a search we shall give you what- 

 ever aid we can. 



"In talking to my brother about the white bills being so notice- 

 able, he said one of the birds seen by him had a very red bill. It 



