518 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



43. YELLOW RAIL 



COTURNICOPS NOVEBORACENSIS (Gmelin) 



Apparently rare, although from the habit of these birds remain- 

 ing concealed in the tall sedges, it is difficult to say how common it 

 really is. The only specimen seen by us was brought in by a 

 house cat March 3, 1901, and was caught in Green's marsh. 



The finding of this beautiful rail in northern Indiana and at 

 so early a date is of especial interest. 



44. FLOEIDA GALLINULE 



GALLINULA GALEATA (Lichtenstein) 



This bird seems to be a rare migrant, or perhaps summer resi- 

 dent. The only record is of one seen in the flat along the Outlet 

 west of the railroad May 7, 1901. These birds skulk through the 

 tall grasses much as the rails do and are probably less rare than 

 records indicate. 



This bird is known to breed in the State. A nest with five well 

 incubated eggs was found May 31, 1890, at the Goose Pond, 9 miles 

 south of Terre Haute. It was placed about 6 inches above the 

 water on a pile of broken stems and leaves of Green Arrow-arum 

 {Peltayidra virginica) , in a bunch of that plant. The eggs measure 

 about 1.81 X 1.22 inches and are creamy or brownish buff" in color, 

 rather thickly spotted and blotched with brown and umber. 



45. COOT; MUD HEN 



FULICA AMERICANA Gmelin 



The Coot or Mud Hen is by far the most abundant of the water 

 fowl at Lake Maxinkuckee. After it come the little bluebill, can- 

 vasback, redhead, mallard, butterball, ruddy duck, merganser, and 

 whistler, about in the order named. The Coot is not only the most 

 abundant species, but it is in many respects the most conspicuous 

 and most interesting. Because of these facts, and the further 

 fact that it is economically the most important species of the 

 water birds that frequent this lake, it seems worth while to give 

 our records of its presence in some detail. This we will do for 

 each of the years in which we made observations. 



1885. — Our only observations in 1885 were made on April 6 

 and 7 when the senior author made a brief visit to the lake. The 

 ice was still on the lake, the only open water being a narrow strip 

 along the south shore. In this strip there were perhaps a hundred 

 Coots. 



