686 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



quite a number March 18 (Deane). It was observed in Cook County, 

 Illinois, March 20, 1885 (Parker). Further south it was first noted 

 in Carroll County April 8, 1885 (Evermann). The first one was 

 noted at Greencastle in 1892 April 8 (Earlle), and in 1894 at Delphi 

 March 8. They are usually not common until April 1. The first 

 arrivals come singly or a few together, but towards April 1 to 10 they 

 appear in flocks of twenty or thirty, or sometimes more. They are 

 usually abundant throughout the month of April and sometimes to 

 May 11. At times they are seen upon the smaller lakes by thou- 

 sands, but are rarely found on Lake Michigan (Parker). Some years 

 the migrants remain in numbers after the summer residents begin to 

 breed. The latter pair through April. By the first week in May they 

 are mostly paired, and May 11, 1890, Mr. Deane found a nest at Eng- 

 lish Lake, made of broken dried cane, with a very small depression, 

 containing eight eggs. Mr. Joseph E. Gould took full sets of fresh eggs 

 from the same locality July 1, 1891. Those that remain to breed are 

 generally a very small portion of the Coots found with us in April. In 

 1891 Mr. Aiken reported it still an abundant summer resident in Lake 

 County, but less plentiful than twenty years ago. They are said to 

 breed in the following counties besides those noted: Dekalb (Feagler), 

 Laporte (Barber), Boone (Beasley), Lake (Meyer, Aiken, Parker). 



Coots and Gallinules are generally known as "Mud Hens." The 

 former may, however, be readily distinguished by the white bill, which 

 is conspicuous for quite a distance. While Coots often associate with 

 ducks, and swim, and sometimes act, something like them, they do not 

 rise and fly away as ducks do. They either swim to, or by a short 

 flight find, concealment among the reedy or grassy edges of the place 

 they frequent. 



In fall they again become very abundant on' our lakes, and remain so 

 until freezing weather. With October 1 they commence passing south- 

 ward, and may- be noticed over the southern part of our State from 

 that time until cold weather. Most of them, however, are seen there 

 through October, and we see very little of the great number that re- 

 main upon the northern waters, to be driven south in a body by the 

 November cold. The first fall migrant noted at Brookville was Octo- 

 ber 1, 1889, and the latest October 21, 1886. Mr. Parker reports them 

 from 'Cook County, Illinois, November 14, 1892, and November 11, 

 1893. 



The latest record I have for Indiana is from Carroll County, where 

 Prof. Evermann observed it November 21, 1884. It has been noted 

 in our State every month in the year except December and January. 



