WORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



This bird closely resembles our American Coot, but its average size is slightly 

 larger. It is a common resident south of middle England, and in the summer is 

 found breeding in the numerous lochs throughout Scotland. Its habits in all re- 

 spects are like those of the American bird. The nest is built in close proximity to 

 water, on islands, borders of lakes, ponds and rivers. It is generally placed among 

 and attached to flags, reeds or rushes. It is large and roughly made of plants and 

 vegetable matter. The eggs are from six or seven to ten or even fourteen in number, 

 pale, dull buff, or stone-color, spotted with rust-colored brownish-black and purp- 

 lish-gray. The average size of a large series is 2.15x1.50. 



220. EUROPEAN COOT. 



221. AMERICAN COOT. Fulica americana Gmel. Geog. Dist. Whole of 

 North America; south to Mexico, Central and South America and West Indies; north 

 to Alaska, occasionally to Greenland. 



Well known as the Mud Hen, and in some sections the Crow Duck. This is the 

 water fowl that young sportsmen persist in shooting as a game bird, but at a riper 

 age he does not "hanker" after its flesh. It is easily known by its slate-colored 

 plumage, white or flesh-colored bill, marked with reddish-black near the end and at 

 the base of frontal plate, greenish legs and carmine iris. The Coot is a good swim- 

 mer and diver, having lobate feet like the phalaropes and grebes. It can also move 

 swiftly through tangled grass and aquatic plants. On almost any large or small body 

 of water sufficiently secluded and whose margins are overgrown with reeds and 

 rushes, or on sluggish streams, swamps, pools or reedy sloughs, there you will find 

 the Coot during the breeding season. The nest is made of dead reeds and grasses, 

 placed on the ground, just out of the water or on floating vegetation; the flags on 

 which it rests being broken down, rises and falls with the water. Some times im- 

 mense numbers of these birds breed together. Mr. Shields records taking five hun- 

 dred Coot eggs, together with large numbers of those of ducks and grebes in South- 

 ern California.* The eggs are clay or creamy- white, uniformly and finely dotted 

 all over with specks of dark brown and blackish; six to twelve and fifteen eggs are 

 often found in a single nest; in shape and general style of color and markings re- 

 semble those of the Florida Gallin-ule; sizes range from 1.77 to 2.00 long by 1.40 to 

 1.45 broad. 



* Egging in a California Swamp. Young Oologist, Vol. I, p. 90. 



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