156 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
221. American Coot. Mud-hen. 
Fulica americana GMEL. 1788. 
Twice obtained in Greenland in the same year (1854); once at 
Godthaab and once at Disco bay. (Arct. Man.) One shot on 
a lake near Nain, Labrador, several years ago. (Packard.) Not 
very common in the autumn in Nova Scotia. (Downs.) A summer 
visitant, increasing in numbers in New Brunswick. (Chamberlain.) 
Breeding in the valley of the St. Lawrence and western Quebec 
and throughout Ontario, and westward to the Pacific coast and 
Vancouver island. The writer found it scattered throughout the 
prairie region, generally in large flocks, but often only a few pairs, 
or one pair, in small ponds. The chief breeding-grounds are in 
Manitoba and northwestward. It was breeding in Vermilion lakes 
at Banff, Rocky mountains, May 11th, 1891. Richardson says its 
northern limit is lat. 53°, and Bernard Ross puts its limit at Fort 
Simpson, on the Mackenzie, in lat. 62° 30’. Spreadborough found 
it to be common in all the marshes from Lesser Slave lake to the 
Peace river, Atha. Although quite common in British Columbia, 
only one specimen is recorded by Nelson as taken in Alaska. 
BREEDING NoTEes.—The coot builds on a mass of old reeds. The 
nest is composed of small pieces of reeds and marsh grass, with no 
particular lining. The eggs, six or more in number, are of a clear 
clay colour, dotted all over with specks of dark brown. As the 
old bird has a habit of covering the nest over whenever she leaves, 
it is very hard to find. Breeds in the marshes around Ottawa, Ont. 
(G. R. White.) Breeds in the same localities with the Florida 
gallinule, and constructs its nest in the same manner. (W. Saunders.) 
Nests in reeds and grass growing in the water along the margins of 
lakes and ponds. The nest is composed of reeds and grass, and 
rather small and shallow. The young leave the nest as soon as 
they are hatched. Found breeding in marshes at Indian Head 
and Crane lake, Sask., at Banff, Rocky mountains, and at Kam- 
loops, B.C. (Spreadborough.) Ina marsh at Crane lake, composed 
chiefly of Carex aristata and a few clumps of Scirpus lacustris, the 
writer, in the course of an hour’s wading, discovered eighteen nests 
of this species, nearly all of which contained eleven eggs. From 
ten to twelve was the usual number. The young hatch out very 
irregularly, and as fast as they come from the shell they leave the 
