1920.] Cape San Antonio, Buenos Ayres. 45 



the three Coots liave caused me endless trouble for many 

 years, before arriving at what I take to be their proper 

 identification, an annoyance which I would wish to spare 

 other observers and collectors. 



379. Fulica armillata Vieill. Red-gartered Coot. 



It may be assumed that the Red-gartered Coot is fairly 

 abundant in our district. The difficulty is to separate it 

 from the next species, the Red-fronted Coot (Fulica leuco- 

 pyga Hartl.) in its usual haunts ; and still more so the 

 differentiation of its general and nesting-habits as distin- 

 guished from the latter. At a distance, both present a bill 

 of strong scarlet and yellow ; whilst, on the other hand, the 

 markedly distinct colour of the feet is hidden under the 

 water. Except when nesting in some particularly isolated 

 situation, the Red-gartered s|)ecies is shy of observation, 

 and promptly disappears amongst the rushes ; and it haunts 

 the deeper swamps in preference to the more open waters. 

 Tie only cry with whic'i I associate it is a sharp note or 

 whistle of alarm when the ob-erver is in the vicinity of its 

 nest, but even then the birds may put in no appearance at 

 all ; indeed the latter is almost invariably the rule. 



Some half-dozen authentic nests, of which no less than 

 five were taken in 1913 (three in the one day), vary in date 

 from 11 October to 2 December ; the bulk being towards 

 the end of November. A couple of these were secured with 

 the parent birds ; in the other cases the occupants were not 

 seen, and only occasionally heard amongst the surrouuding 

 rushes. The preferable situation would seem to be just 

 within the junco covert, adjacent to open water, and in the 

 deeper canadas or canadones ; two, however, were outside 

 the rushes proper, amidst the water-weeds. The materials 

 used are either dry junco stems, lined with finer fragments 

 of the same ; or various water-grasses, also lined with their 

 broader leaves and other green stuff ; but all fairly dry. A 

 slovenly structure is exceptional ; it is generally well built 

 with a depression varying from saucer- to cup-shape. Height 

 above the water some four to six inches ; generally twenty 



