RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS 237 



Range, Tropical and temperate Am. Breeds from cen. Calif., Ariz., 

 Nebr., Minn., Ont., N. Y., and Vt. s. through the West Indies and Mex. to 

 Chile and Argentina, and in the Galapagos and Bermuda; winters from s. 

 Calif., Ariz., Tex., and Ga. southward; casual in Colo., Que., N. S., N. B., 

 and Maine. 



Washington, rare T. V., Apl.; Aug.-Oct. Long Island, uncommon T. V., 

 May; Sept. and Oct. ; a few breed. Ossining, rare S. R., June 5-Nov. 5. Cam- 

 bridge, uncommon S. R., May 15-Oct. 25. N. Ohio, common S. R., Apl. 25- 

 Sept. 20. Glen Ellyn, rare and local S. R., May 26. SE. Minn., common S. R. 



Nest, of rushes on a bed of rushes or similar slight elevation in marshes, 

 lagoons, or swampy lake sides. Eggs, 8-13, buffy white or ochraceous-buff, 

 spotted and speckled with rufous-brown, 1*80 x 1*25. Date, Coast S. C., 

 May 21; Cambridge, June 5; Pewaukee, Wise., May 20. 



There is something about the appearance and habits of Gallinules 

 which always suggests to me the thought that they are chickens which 

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

 and Rails. Indeed, 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 an 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. 



BREWSTER, WM., Auk, VII, 1-7 (nesting in Mass.). 1910. MILLER, 

 R. F., Auk, XXVII, 181-184 (nesting in Pa.). 



The EUROPEAN COOT (220. Fulica atra) inhabits the northern parts of the 

 Old World, and sometimes occurs in Greenland. It closely resembles the 

 American Coot, but lacks the white markings on the edge of the wing and 

 under tail-coverts. 



221. Fulica americana Gmel. COOT. (Figs. 216; 39e.) Ads. Head 

 and neck blackish; rest of plumage dark, bluish slate-color, paler below; 

 edge of wing, tips of 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 upperparts 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 Gal- 

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

 the Coot will always serve to distinguish it. 



Range. N. A. Breeds from cen. B. C., s. Mackenzie, Man., Que., and 

 N. B. s. to n. L. Calif., Tex., Tenn., and N. J., and also in s. Mex., s. West 

 Indies, and Guatemala; winters from s. B. C., Nev., Utah, the Ohio Valley, 

 and Va., s. to Colombia; casual at Fort Yukon, Alaska, and in Greenland, 

 Lab. and Bermuda. 



Washington, common T. V., Mch.-May; Sept. 1-Oct. 31. Long Island, 

 uncommon, T. V., Apl.; not uncommon, Sept.-Nov. (Butcher). Ossining, 

 common T. V., Apl. 28-May 16; Sept. 22-Nov. 13. Cambridge, T. V., rare 

 in Apl.; not uncommon, Sept. 15-Oct. 25. N, Ohio, tolerably common T. 



