COOT. 211 



I have never yet discovered that this species breeds with us; 

 though it is highly probable that some few may occupy the marsh- 

 es of the interior, in the vicinity of the ponds and lakes, for this 

 purpose: those retired situations being well adapted to the hatch- 

 ing and rearing of their young. In the southern states, parti- 

 cularly South Carolina, they are well known; but the Floridas 

 appear to be their principal rendezvous, for the business of in- 

 cubation. "The Coot," says William Bartram, "is a native 

 of North America, from Pennsylvania to Florida. They inha- 

 bit large rivers, fresh water inlets or bays, lagoons, &c. where 

 they swim and feed amongst the reeds and grass of the shores; 

 particularly in the river St. Juan, in East Florida, where they 

 are found in immense flocks. They are loquacious and noisy, 

 talking to one another night and day; are constantly on the wa- 

 ter, the broad lobated membranes on their toes enabling them 

 to swim and dive like ducks."' 



I observed this species to be numerous, during the winter, 

 in the fresh water ponds, situated in the vicinity of the river 

 St. Juan or St. John, in East Florida; but I did not see them in 

 the river. The food which they obtain in these places must be 

 very abundant and nutricious; as the individuals which I shot 

 were excessively fat. One male specimen weighed twenty-four 

 ounces, avoirdupois. They associate with the Common Galli- 

 nule; (Gallinula chloropus) but there is not, perhaps, one of 

 the latter for twenty of the former. 



The Cinereous Coot is sixteen inches in length, and twenty- 

 eight in extent; bill one and a half inch long, white, the upper 

 mandible slightly notched near the tip, and marked across with 

 a band of chestnut, the lower mandible marked on each side with 

 a squarish spot of the like colour, edged on the lower part with 

 bright yellow or gamboge, thence to the tip pale horn colour; 

 membrane of the forehead, dark chestnut brown; irides corne- 

 lian red; beneath the eyes, in most specimens, a whitish spot; 

 the head and neck are of a deep shining black, resembling sa- 



* Letter from Mr. Bartram to the author. 



