188 KALLID^E 



as China and Japan. In winter, it is abundant in India, 

 North Africa, and the adjacent Islands. 



DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 



PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial. Back of the neck, back, 

 wings, dark slate-grey ; throat, breast, abdomen, and flanks, 

 dull black ; wings crossed by a narrow white bar. 



Adult female nuptial. Similar to the male plumage. 



Adult winter, male and female. Similar to the nuptial 

 plumage. 



Immature, male and female. Breast and abdomen, 

 greyish ; throat, impure white. 



Nestling. Jet-black, with orange-red head varied with 

 purple-blue. 



BEAK. Pale pinkish-white ; the tip ivory-white ; ' frontal 

 plate/ also white, with a smooth surface like polished ivory. 



FEET. Greenish ; toes fringed on either side with a 

 series of membranous lobes ; such a form of foot being of 

 great use when the bird is treading its way through reeds 

 and sinking ooze, as well as when swimming. 



IRIDES. Bright crimson. 



AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 



TOTAL LENGTH 15 in. 



WING 8-5 



BEAK ... ... ... ... 1*5 



TARSO-METATARSUS 1*3 ,, 



EGG 2 x 1-5 in. 



Allied Species and Representative Forms. F. cristata is 

 the African representative. It has two bright red caruncles 

 on the ' frontal plate.' 



The North American Coot differs from our bird only in 

 having a large amount of white under the tail. However, 

 our identical bird has once reached Greenland (Saunders). 



