BIRDS OF KANSAS 139 



north of the more southern States, but abundant west- 

 ward. It breeds occasionally throughout its range, but 

 chiefly from latitude 43 to 55 ; wintering in large flocks 

 in the Southern States and Mexico, decreasing in numbers 

 southward. 



These birds are in many respects like their cousins, the 

 Gallinules, which they so closely resemble ; inhabiting the 

 edges of swampy, boggy ponds, where covered with a rank 

 growth of reeds and rushes. They differ, however, in 

 being social, going in flocks, and in preferring the open 

 water in which to sport and rest, or muskrat houses and 

 bare places of land to rest and dress their feathers upon; 

 keeping, during the breeding season, near their reedy 

 cover, into which they quickly swim and hide, in case of 

 danger ; but in the fall of the year, preparatory to migra- 

 tion, they often assemble out upon the open waters. 



They swim and walk with a nodding motion of the head. 

 I have noticed them occasionally dive for food, but they 

 are not expert divers, and seldom do so except when 

 closely pressed and unable to fly. 



Its flesh is dark and not good eating, and its feathers not 

 soft and downy, therefore not sought after by the pot 

 hunter, nor considered a game bird by the sportsman; 

 and for these reasons the birds are not shy, and are easily 

 approached. They rise from the water in a laborious, 

 running, flapping manner, but, when fairly in the air, fly 

 quite steadily, with neck and feet well stretched out, the 

 head usually inclining downward and the feet a little up- 

 ward. At times, before mating, they are quite noisy. 



Their food consists of aquatic insects, snails, tender 

 water plants, buds, blossoms and seeds of different plants, 

 etc. 



