NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS EGGS. 



107 



[220.] European Coot. Fulica atra. 



A European species very similar to the next, and only casually found in 

 Greenland. Nesting the same as our species. 



221. American Coot. Fulica americana. 



Range. Whole of temperate North America, from the southern parts of the 

 British Provinces, southward; very common in suitable localities throughout its 

 range. 



The Coot bears some resemblance to the ^^BBBHi^^^ 



Florida Gallinule, but is somewhat larger, its 

 bill is white with a blackish band about the 

 middle, and each toe has a scalloped web. 

 They inhabit the same marshes and sloughs 

 that are used by the Rails and Gallinules as 

 nesting places, and they have the same retir- 

 ing habits, skulking through the grass to 

 avoid observation, rather than flying. Their 

 nests are either floating piles of decayed 

 vegetation, or are built of dead rushes in 

 clumps of rushes on the banks. They gen- 

 erally build in large colonies. The eggs 

 number from six to sixteen and have a gray- 

 ish ground color, finely specked all over the 

 1.80 x 1.30. 



SHORE BIRDS. Order IX. LIMICOL/E. 



surface with 



PHALAROPES. Family PHALAROPODID/E. 



Phalaropes are small Plover-like birds, but with lobate webbed feet, similar to 

 those of the Grebes and Coots. 



222. Red Phalarope. Crymophilus fulicarius. 



Range. Northern Hemisphere, breeding in the far north, and migrating to 

 the middle portions of the United States, chiefly on the coasts. 



The Red Phalarope during the breeding season has 

 the underparts wholly reddish brown; they are very 

 rarely seen in the United States in this dress, however, 

 for it is early changed for a suit of plain gray and white. 

 This species has a much stouter bill than the two follow- 

 ing; it is about nine inches in length. All the Phala- 

 ropes are good swimmers, and this species, especially, 

 is often found in large flocks off the coast, floating on 

 the surface of the water; they feed largely upon small 

 marine insects. Nests in he! lows on the ground, liiud 

 with a few grasses. The eggs are three or four in number, generally of a unvn- 

 ish buff color, spotted and blotched with brown and blackish. Data. Myvatcs. 

 Iceland, June TJ, 1897. Collector, C. Jefferys. 



[Greenish buffj. 



