RALLID.E — THE GALLINULES — GALLIXULA. 



391 



ica, and 

 (I yoimg 

 ribc'cl as 

 ni. r.y 

 liftVvfut. 

 it'i'iuuda. 

 it as out" 

 lu'i'i' the 

 ; is move 

 ihcs and 

 vly, to an 



bode and 

 li a ninili 

 ;ht at the 

 H'S which 



vapidity, 

 )id h)sini; 



is hi'avy 

 l'c always 



1 no douht 

 ; the birds 

 eounnon. 

 d, at least. 

 IJoai'dnian 

 1871. An 

 l.S(;8, and 

 oubt been 

 Iwster shot 



I an adult 

 lii-s of this 



few only 

 led as hav- 



II by letter 

 Lserved on 

 lie vicinity 

 Ito eonc-eid 



pept when 

 kl pressed 

 Is, inseets, 

 Ivas found 

 pis. 

 company 

 boisterous 

 Coot was 

 Is not rare 

 Lling it at 



Mr. Audubon states that when he was at Sprint? <Jarden Sprin,!,'s, in East Florida, 

 in the early p.art of January, thi.s Gallinule was seen in great inunbcrs on every bayou 

 Icadinj? toward the waters of tlm St. .lohii. lie describes the nest as Inrnied with more 

 labur than art, and as composed of a ([uantity of withered rushes and ]dants woven 

 into a circular form. It was frecjnently from two to three iiiehes thick in the centre, 

 and surrounded by an edge or brim four or five inches hit,di. If not disturbed this 

 bird will raise at least two broods in a season, using the same nest, wliich each time 

 is refitted. In Lower Louisiana the nest is usually ti>e or six feet from tiie water, 

 along the bayous and ponds, among the rank weeds which are so abnn(hint there. 

 The number of eggs .seldom exceeds nine. AVlien the (iailinule leaves its nest it 

 covers tiie eggs, to protect tiiem from its numerous enemies. Itoth sexes incul)ate, and 

 the young follow the i)arent as soon as tliey are hatched, the mother being assiduous 

 in her attentions to them. Their food consists of grass-seeds, Avater insects, worms, 

 and snails, t(>gether witii which they swaUow a good deal of fine gravel. T'hey run 

 over the broad leaves of tiie lilies as if on land, and can dive readily when neces- 

 sary. On land this bird walks like a Chicken, and may frequently be seen searching 

 I'dv worms and insects among the grass, which it nips in the manner (jf the common 

 Domestic Fowl. 



According to Mr. G^sse, the (Jallinule in .Jamaica is known as tlie (Joot. while 

 the latter is called the Water-hen. He found it scarctdy distinguislialde from the 

 European Moor-hen, either in appearaiKU' ov manner, dtdighting in water where there 

 is cover, sometimes a swiftly running stream, but usually large jionds where tall thi(dv 

 liulrushes and masses of the ginger fern surround the l)anks. Jn sncli a i)iece (d' 

 water, early in tiie morning, or if the jdace is unfrerpu'uted, at any lumr of the day, 

 tlie (Jallinule may be seen playing on the surface, and uttering a loud (diudi at short 

 intervals as it swims to and fro. When alarmed each bird sounds the iKjte. Imt in a 

 liiglier key, and the whole flock seeks coiun-alment. There they continue to call to 

 one anotlier, and if mucli pressed conceal themselves by keeping under -water, holding 

 on the roots of the rushes. If the ol)server remains silent and concealed, in about 

 iialf an hour the cluck is again raised, and the bird begins cautiously to re-emerge, 

 and resumes its occupation at the margin of the reeds. One of this sju'cies which had 

 been slightly wounded was fastened with a cord attached to one foot, and allowed to 

 swim in the pools of lUuetield's Kiver. Its first impulse Avas to dive, and then to swim 

 along about a foot beneath the surface, striking out both with tlie feet and with the ex- 

 panded wings. When thus immersed in the water, its whole ])luniage was coated with 

 a pellicle of air, which had a singular effect. When it swam at the surface only the 

 head, neck, and a part of tlie liack was exposed. When iiermitted to do so, it would 

 iii'c[) in among the weeds and grass at the margin and remain motionless. It vas 

 unwilling to walk on boards, and when on the turf, was only capaljle of maintaining 

 a walking ])osture as long a.s its motion was rapid. It is said to be abundant in the 

 iieighliorhood of Hamilton, on Lake Ontario, where — as 31r. Mcllwraitli states — it is 

 oidy less common than the Coot. It breeds abundantly on the Canadian side op])osite 

 I'ctroit, from whiidi locality I have received its eggs. It lirecds commonly m the 

 Calumet marshes in Northern Illinois, on Lake Michigan, and is also abundant in the 

 vicinity of Lake Koskonong in Southern Wisconsin. 



^Ir. B. F. Goss informs me that this bird breeds abundantly in the shallow muddy 

 Hats which border the lakes and streams of Wisconsin, and winch, being covered with 

 a thick growtii of flags, rushes, and aquatic grasses, furnish a suitable home to tlie 

 (iallinules. There they build their nests, rear their j'oung, and spend the entire sea- 

 sun. The nest is not very claboratidy constructed, being raised but a few inches 



