FULICA.] AVES GRALLATORES- 221 



and abdomen, pale gray ; flanks tinged with olivaceous : tip of the bill 

 greenish, passing into olivaceous brown at the base : the frontal disk of 

 small size, of a deep olivaceous brown : irides brown : legs olivaceous ; 

 the naked part of the tibia yellowish. (Egg.) Reddish white, sparingly 

 spotted and speckled with orange-brown: long. diam. one inch eight lines 

 and a half; trans, diam. one inch three lines and a half. 



A common inhabitant of marshy places and the banks of rivers 

 throughout the country. Runs swiftly, and is also a good swimmer. 

 Nest constructed of rushes and other dry herbage; generally placed 

 on the ground near the water's edge, but occasionally in trees. Eggs 

 from five to eight in number, laid early in April. Food, insects, seeds, 

 and aquatic vegetables. 



GEN. 86. FULICA, Linn. 



221. F. atra. Linn. (Common Coot.) Head and 

 neck black ; back black, tinged with cinereous : beneath 

 paler. 



F. atra, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. n. p. 706. Common Coot, Mont. 

 Orn. Diet, fy Supp. Selb. Illmt. vol. n. p. 193. pi. 32. Coot, 

 Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. n. p. 141. 



DIMENS. Entire length sixteen inches : length of the bill (from the 

 base of the frontal disk) one inch ten lines, (from the gape) one inch five 

 lines; of the tarsus two inches two lines ; of the middle toe three inches 

 three lines ; of the tail two inches ; from the carpus to the end of the 

 wing seven inches nine lines. 



DESCRIPT. Head and neck deep black; back, wings, and all the 

 upper parts, black, with a tinge of ash-gray : breast, belly, flanks, thighs, 

 and under tail-coverts, deep bluish gray : frontal disk large, of a pure 

 white : bill white, with a tinge of rose-red : irides crimson red : legs 

 and toes ash-gray, tinged with greenish ; naked part of the tibia orange- 

 yellow. In young birds, the frontal disk is very small ; the under parts 

 of the plumage pale gray. (Egg.) Stone-colour, speckled with nutmeg- 

 brown : long. diam. two inches one line ; trans, diam. one inch six lines. 



Common in most parts of the country, frequenting lakes, rivers, and 

 extensive ponds. Makes a large floating nest of flags, and other aquatic 

 plants, and lays from eight to twelve eggs. Feeds on aquatic insects and 

 vegetables. Obs. The Greater Coot (F. aterrima, Linn.) is not distinct 

 from the present species. 



