146 RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS. 



for unknown reasons have been forced to adopt the ways of both Coots 

 and Rails. Indeed, now I think of it, the names Water-hen and Moor- 

 hen are applied to near relatives of our bird. 



They frequent marshy, reed- or bush-grown shores of ponds and 

 lakes, walking gracefully through the tangled vegetation. Their flight 

 is short and, like a Rail, with dangling legs they drop awkwardly to the 

 ground. They swim readily, and when on the water resemble a Coot, 

 though they are by no means so aquatic. Their notes are loud and 

 varied, and during the nesting season they are unusually noisy. Their 

 common note is a loud, explosive chuck ; other calls are suggestive of 

 the barnyard, and remind one of the protest of a disturbed brooding 

 hen or even the squawking of a struggling fowl. In The Auk, vol. 

 viii, pages 1-7, Mr. Brewster gives a detailed account of his study of a 

 pair of Gallinules. 



221. Fulica americana Gmel. AMERICAN COOT ; MUD-HEN; CROW 

 DOCK; BLUE PETER. (See Fig. 22, .) Ad. Head and neck blackish ; rest of 

 the plumage dark, bluish slate-color, paler below ; edge of the wing, tips of 

 the secondaries, and under tail-coverts white ; bill whitish, two spots near its 

 tip and crown plate brownish ; legs and feet greenish ; toes with scalloped 

 flaps. Im. Similar, but much whiter below, a slight brownish wash above ; 

 crown plate much smaller. Downy young. Blackish, white below ; throat and 

 upper parts with numerous bright orange hairlike feathers; lores red ; bill red, 

 tipped with black. L., 15-00; W., 7'50; Tar., 2-25; B. from posterior margin 

 of nostril, -80. 



Remarks. The Coot bears a general resemblance to the Florida Gallinule, 

 but, aside from the differences in color, the scalloped webbed feet of the Coot 

 will always serve to distinguish them. 



Range. North America as far north as Alaska and New Brunswick, and 

 casually Greenland ; breeds locally throughout its range ; rather rare on the 

 Atlantic coast during the nesting season. 



Washington, common T. V., Mch. to May ; Sept. to Oct. 15. Long Island, 

 uncommon T. V., Apl. ; not uncommon, Sept. to Nov. Sing Sing, common 

 T. V., Apl. 28 to May 16 ; Sept. 22 to Nov. 13. Cambridge, T. V., rare in 

 Apl. ; common Sept to Nov. 



Nest, of reeds, grasses, etc., among reeds in fresh-water marshes. Eggs, 

 eight to fifteen, pale, buffy white, finely and uniformly speckled with choco- 

 late or black, 1-85 x 1-25. 



As one might imagine after seeing their lobed feet, Coots are more 

 aquatic than either of the Gallinules. In the Middle States they are 

 found in creeks and rivers with marshy and reed-grown shores, while 

 in Florida they resort in enormous numbers to lakes covered with the 

 yellow lilies locally known as " bonnets " (Nuphar) ; and in some of 

 the large, shallow rivers, like Indian River, they may be found in 

 myriads, associated with Lesser Scaup Ducks. 



In my experience they are as a rule quite shy ; but near the long 



