FLORIDA GALLINULE (Gallinula gale- 

 ata). This is larger than any of our rails, 

 measuring 14 in. in length; the bill is heavier 

 even than that of the shorter billed rails and 

 ends in a scaly shield on the forehead that is 

 characteristic of gallinules. They share with 

 Coots the names of "Mud-hen," "Water- 

 hen" or "Moor-hen," the hen part of the 

 name being because their notes, and they are 

 very noisy birds, sound a great deal like the 

 cackling of barnyard fowl. Their flight is 

 no stronger than that of rails, but on land or 

 water they are agile and graceful. Although 

 they do not have webbed feet they can swim 

 well and often dive when pursued. These 

 birds are found commonly throughout tem- 

 perate America, breeding from New England, 

 Ontario and California south through South 

 America to Chile. 



PURPLE GALLINULE (lonornis martin- 

 icus) . Very similar in form to Florida Gal- 

 linules, but brilliantly plumaged, the whole 

 head and under parts being a rich purplish- 

 blue, becoming bluish-green on the sides and 

 black on the belly; back and wing coverts 

 olive-green; under tail coverts pure white. 

 Not uncommon in the South Atlantic and 

 Gulf States; wanders casually to Nova 

 Scotia, Ontario and Wisconsin. 



COOT (Fulica americana). A most re- 

 markable bird, at home equally in the water 



or on land in marshes. Plumage gray like that of the Florida Gallinule, but 



secondaries tipped with white, bill white with a black band or spots in the 



middle, practically no frontal plate, and the toes each with a lobed web. Coots 



swim and dive fully as well as any of 



our ducks, and are frequently seen on 



bays and in rivers in company with them, 



or in flocks of their own kind. While 



swimming they have a habit of nodding 



the head in time to the strokes of their 



feet. They are to be found throughout 



the United States and southern Canada. 



Commonly known as "Blue Peters." 



28 



FLORIDA GALLINULE 

 COOT 



