2218 



THE GAME B.IRDS AND RAILS 



THE FINFEET 



Family HELIORNITHIDJE 



As has been mentioned, the birds representing this group are few in number, 

 and belong to three different genera, one being found in Africa, a second in Central 

 and South America, and the third in Southeastern Asia and Sumatra. The Sene- 

 gal finfoot (Podica senegalensis) is, as its name implies, a native of West Africa. 

 The general color above is dark brown glossed with dark green, the back and 

 wings being ornamented with round ochreous spots edged with black; the sides of 

 the face, neck, and throat are gray banded with white; and the rest of the under 

 parts white tinged with fulvous and barred with black on the sides. Mr. Biitti- 



kofer observed these birds on 

 the Junk and Du Queah riv- 

 ers in Liberia, where they 

 were usually met with solitary, 

 more rarely in pairs, slowly 

 swimming about, and very shy 

 and watchful, making for the 

 bank at full speed on the ap- 

 proach of a canoe, and hiding 

 themselves under the thick 

 foliage of the overhanging 

 shrubs. They are very hard 

 to flush unless taken by sur- 

 prise in the open, when they 

 flutter hastily away, keeping 

 so close to the water that they 

 continually beat the surface 



with their wings and feet. When swimming, they sit very deep in the water, and 

 are therefore not easily killed in that position, especially as it is difficult to get 

 within shot of them, and, unlike the rails, even when wounded, they never attempt 

 to escape by diving. Their general habits are much like those of the common 

 coot. Speaking of the closely-allied Peter's finfoot from South Africa, Mr. Ayres 

 says the birds he obtained were caught in traps set for otters. ' ' They have the 

 power of making an extraordinary noise, like the growling of a wild beast, which 

 they do by drawing the air into their bodies and forcing it gradually from their 

 throats. ' ' Both birds made this strange noise when taken from the traps, fighting 

 at the same time with all their might. The young of the American finfoot 

 (H. fulica) are said to be hatched naked and carried about by the old bird, but 

 very little appears to be known at present of the nesting habits of any of these 

 birds. 



SENEGAL FINFOOT. 



