118 GALLINULINjE. FULICA. 



ing, much compressed ; upper mandible with its dorsal line 

 declinato-convex, the ridge narrow, enlarged at the base into 

 an elliptical tumid plate, which covers the fore part of the 

 head to beyond the eyes, the sides sloping at the base, con- 

 vex toward the end ; the nasal groove large, the edges hard 

 and direct, the tip small, with rather distinct notches ; lower 

 mandible with the angle long and narrow, the dorsal line 

 ascending, and nearly straight, the edges direct, the tip nar- 

 row. Tongue fleshy, oblong, nearly flat, with the tip thin, 

 rounded, and lacerated ; oesophagus uniform ; proventriculus 

 oblong ; stomach a large, very muscular gizzard, with rugous 

 epithelium ; intestine very long ; cceca large. Nostrils linear- 

 oblong, submedial. Eyes rather small, eyelids feathered. 

 Aperture of ear roundish, rather small. Feet large ; tibia 

 bare to a small extent ; tarsus of moderate length, large, 

 compressed, with broad curved scutella ; toes very long, slen- 

 der, compressed, above with numerous scutella, beneath flat, 

 laterally expanded into a broad membrane, which is con- 

 tracted at the joints, each scollop, thus formed, having five 

 series of plates ; the first toe small, the second a little larger 

 than the fourth ; claws long, slender, much compressed, ta- 

 pering, acute. Plumage soft, full, blended, glossy above ; 

 wings short, concave, rounded, of twenty-four quills ; the 

 first primary considerably shorter than the second, which is 

 about the same length as the third ; tail extremely short, 

 arched, much rounded, of twelve very weak, narrow feathers. 

 The Coots are proportionally stouter than the Gallinules, 

 and decidedly aquatic. Their residence is on lakes, pools, 

 rivers, and inlets of the sea, among the reeds, sedges, and 

 other aquatic plants. They occasionally betake themselves 

 to land, and can run with great speed, but fly heavily ; 

 swim and dive with as much ease as ducks ; feed on insects, 

 mollusca, worms, and seeds ; form a large nest, on the 

 ground, among seeds, and lay numerous light-coloured eggs, 

 dotted with dusky. 



215. FULICA ATRA. BLACK COOT. 



Plumage of the head and upper part of the neck greyish- 

 black ; the upper parts dark bluish-grey, the lower brownish- 

 grey ; the frontal plate white, as are the extremities of the 



