48 Mr. E. Gibson on the Ornithology of [Ibis, 



The ground-colour of the eggs varies from a light cinna- 

 mon or pale buff to a warm or rich buff. It is speckled and 

 spotted with red-brown and mauve, partly underlying ; 

 super-imposed again are larger red-brown spots or blotches, 

 heaviest towards the blunt end. They are very uniform in 

 size and shape, and average 53 x 38 mm." 



381. Fulica leucoptera Yieill. Yellow-billed Coot. 



Iris red, or dark-red. 



There is apparently some confusion in Claude Grant's 

 notes on the three FuUcce ('Ibis,' July 1911, p. 462), 

 Under Fulica armillata, he says : " All three species of 

 Coot (F. armillata^ F. rufifrons, and 7^. leucopygd) are found 

 in the Ajo district, though no specimens of the last species 

 were obtained. On all the swamps Coots simply swarm." 

 But he actually follows F. armillata with F. leucopyga itself 

 (of which there are four specimens), and the statement that 

 " it is the commonest of the three Coots ". 



Ill the claim to abundance, the Yellow-billed Coot 

 {F. leucoi)tera) admits of no rivalry. But it is when feeding 

 on the low shores, and at a considerable distance from the 

 water, as described by Hudson, that it frequently amazes the 

 beholder by the magnitude of its flocks. In the vicinity of 

 the Laguna Milan I have seen the plain black and absolutely 

 hidden by such an assemblage, extended over many acres ; 

 while in the wild rush and flight back to the water, on being 

 disturbed, the birds seemed actually to be touching each 

 other. (In parenthesis : — A few years ago, during the great 

 flood, I knew the manager of a neighbouring English 

 estancia, who wrote to his town-agents in great distress be- 

 wailing that the enormous number of Coots were depleting of 

 grass such area of grazing-ground as still reiuaiued above 

 "the face of the waters." I am afraid that on my advice 

 being asked as " a man who knew something about birds," 

 I was credited with levity and altogether deprived of my 

 high estate, when I suggested that the only saving measure 

 was to "round-up" and pluck the Coots in lieu of shearing 

 the harassed sheep !) On the water, if alarmed or surprised 



