45 



RAIL-TRIBE. 



THE FINFEET. 

 Family HELIORNITHID& 



As mentioned above, the birds representing this group are few in number, and 

 belong to three different genera, one being found in Africa, a second in Central and 

 South America, and the third in South-Eastern Asia and Sumatra. The Senegal 

 finfoot (Podica senegalensis) is, as its name implies, a native of West Africa. The 

 general colour above is dark brown glossed with dark green, the back and 

 wings being ornamented with round ochreous spots edged with black; the 

 sides of the face, neck, and throat are grey banded with white ; and the rest 

 of the under-parts white tinged with fulvous and barred with black on the sides. 



Mr. Blittikofer observed these 

 birds on the Junk and Du 

 Queah Rivers in Liberia, where 

 they were usually met with 

 solitary, more rarely in pairs, 

 slowly swimming about, and 

 very shy and watchful, making 

 for the bank at full speed on 

 the approach of a canoe, and 

 hiding themselves under the 

 thick foliage of the over- 

 hanging shrubs. They are 

 very hard to flush unless 

 taken by surprise in the open, 

 when they flutter hastily away, 

 keeping so close to the water 

 that they continually beat the 

 surface with their wings and feet. When swimming, they sit very deep in the 

 water, and are therefore not easily killed in that position, especially as it is 

 difficult to get within shot of them, and, unlike the rails, even when wounded, 

 they never attempt to escape by diving. Their general habits are much like those 

 of the common coot. Speaking of the closely allied Peter's finfoot from South 

 Africa, Mr. Ayres says the .birds he obtained were caught in traps set for otters. 

 " They have the power of making an extraordinary noise, like the growling of a 

 wild beast, which they do by drawing the air into their bodies, and forcing it 

 gradually from their throats." Both birds made this strange noise when taken 

 from the traps, fighting at the same time with all their might. The young of 

 the American finfoot (H. fulica) are said to be hatched naked and carried about 

 by the old bird, but very little appears to be known at present of the nesting- 

 habits of any of these birds. 



W. R. OGILVIE GRANT. 



SENEGAL FINFOOT. 



