62 THE CHICAGO ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



Fulica atra WILSON, Amer. Orn., IX, 1825, pi. 73, fig. 1, (nee Linnaeus). 

 Popular synonyms: MUD HEN. WHITE-BILLED MUD HEN. CBOW 

 DUCK. 



The American Coots are common summer residents, arriving 

 early in April. They build their nests in reed patches in May. 

 The nests are usually placed in quite exposed situations unlike 

 those of the other species of this family. They are often placed 

 in reeds that stand in two to four feet of water, and are built 

 at about the same time as are those of the Florida gallinule. 

 Where the Coots are plentiful, they gather in quite large numbers 

 as cold weather approaches, and, frequenting the rivers and lakes, 

 remain with us until these waters are frozen over. Mr. E. W. 

 Nelson says regarding the appearance of the Coot within our 

 limits,* "This bird has a curious habit when approached by a 

 boat in a stream, rising .often before the boat is within gunshot, 

 and flying directly by the boatman, generally so near that it 

 may be easily brought down. The abundance of ducks and other 

 game birds has caused the birds of this family to be but little 

 molested, until within a few years, when the amateur sportsmen 

 from Chicago, finding the ducks difficult to obtain, and 'mud- 

 hens/ as coots and gallinules are called, conveniently tame, have 

 turned their batteries upon them and have caused a diminution 

 in their numbers about the Calumet Marshes. But in more re- 

 tired marshes they still breed in undiminished numbers." 



The range of the American Coot covers the whole of North 

 America, including the West Indies. 



ORDER LIMICOL^E: SHORE BIRDS. 



FAMILY PHALAROPODIDJE: PHALAEOPES. 

 Genus CRYMOPHILUS Vieillot, 1816. 



Crymophilus fulicarius (Linnaeus). Bed Phalarope. 



Tringa fulicaria LINN^US, S. N., ed. 10, I, 1758, 148. 



Phalaropus fulicarius Sw. & RICH., Fauna Bor. Amer., II, 1831, 407. 



Crymophilus fulicarius STEJNEGEB, Auk, II, 1885, 183. 



I have found no record of the occurrence of this species 

 within our limits or in the immediate vicinity except that of 

 Mr. E. W. Nelson who says:* "Exceedingly rare. Occurs 

 only during the migrations at about the same time as the pre- 

 ceeding (Northern Phalarope) " 



*Birds of Northeastern Illinois. Bull, of the Essex Institute, Vol. VIII, 1876, 136. 



