RALUD.E — THE COOTS - I'TLICA. 



39t 



,o Greeiiluuil 



HiuImoii's liay, nor riirtlicr nortli tluin llie .'lAtli puviiUi'l. In the Fur Country it wuh 

 always olwcivt'd to arrive in tlic niglit-tinic. Tlu' crojis of thoHc tliat wurc killed 

 wore found to be lillcd witli line sand. Captain Jilakiston also mentions that he met 

 with this bird in larj^t' ninuiHMs on the reedy lakes of tlie Saskatchewan Valley, in 

 the prairies of wliich it arrives about the end (d' April. He noticed that it has the 

 li;diit of making a shari) rattlini;- noise at ni),dit. and he was told that it migrates only 

 hy night. Its eggs are collected in great nundiers l)y the fur-traders; and on one 

 occasion Captain JJlakiston went out on such an excursion in a canoe, and obtained 

 ii hundred and titty in a few hours — even this was con.sidered a poor day's work. 

 This species was found in the neigldxM'hood of Fort Carlton and on the Mackenzie, 

 hut was not met with on Hudson's Jiay. It was procured at Fort Kesolution, Fort 

 Simpson, IJig Island, Lake Manitoba, and in th<' CJens de Large iMountains. 



Mr, Uoardman iniorms nu- that it is not uncomnu)n about Calais, Me., being seen 

 in the fall and spring; but it is not known to breed there, and its ]iresence is ]ire- 

 sumed to occur only in its migrations from more northern regions. It is found in 

 Mas.sachusetts, on the coast only as a migrant, .so far as 1 am aware. It is said by 

 iMr. Allen to breed near Springfield. 



According to the observations of Mr. (Jiraud, this bird is nowhere plentiful in tlu; 

 middle Atlantic^ districts. Throughout the sea-coast of Xew Jersey, as well as on 

 that of Long i.slaiul, it is suiticiently frcfpient to be known to the hunters, by whom 

 it is called the "Mud-hen."' When it docs occur it is usually to be .seen on low wet 

 marshes and on the necks of land along the nuirgins of creeks, which are thickly cov- 

 ered with rank grass and weeds, that afford it shtdter in the intervals between the 

 tides. It is then seldom seen, and when noticed disajijjears so (juickly through the 

 close cover that it is impossible to pursue it. At high-tiile it sits on the drift grass, 

 or retreats to higher places on the end)ankment, awaiting the fall of the tide to 

 rcsunu' its oppoituidty of feeding on the worms, Crustacea, insects, or seeds of the 

 various plants which aliound on the muddy jdaces it frefpients. In its hai)its it is 

 sedentary, and, like the Kails and Gallinules, to wliich in nmny resj)ects it has a 

 strong resemblance, is averse to taking wing. Except when alarmed or suspicious 

 of dau,L,('r. it moves very leisurely along in ])ursuit of its food. ANTieu not thus em- 

 ployed its attitude is drowsy and listless. If pursued, it can run very fast and swim 

 and dive very well, and if in danger, with great rapidity, nuiking use of both wings 

 and feet in swimming, like the (Jallinule. It has not been ascertained to breed on 

 Long Island. 



Mr. Dresser found this bird abundant near Matamoras and Brownville during the 

 time he was in that region ; near San Antonio, late in the autumn of ISGH, he also 

 procured several specinuuis of it. ^Iv. >). A, Allen found it common in May in East- 

 ern Kansas, where it was seen in large nundiers in the lagoims. ^Ir. Hidgway speaks 

 of it as excessively abundant and resiih'ut in all the marshes of California, as well 

 ns thrcraghout the interior. It is also mentioned by JNlr. 1{. Browne as one of the 

 birds of Vancouver Island. Dr. (Joojier states that it abounds in the nmrshy neighbor- 

 hood of nearly every ])on(l and stream in California, and it is ])robably equally muuer- 

 ous in Oregon and Washington Territory. Simth of San F'rancisco it is known only 

 as a winter visitor. Ueing but rarely shot at by hunters, it is remarkably tame, col- 

 lecting in flocks of hundreds in the marshes about San Francisco and other cities, as 

 well as near remote mountain-lakes, walking awkwardly about on their shores, and 

 scarcely getting out of tlie way to escape the sportsnnm, who thinks it an unworthy 

 object of his skill, as its flesh is dark and unpalatable. The young bird, however, is 

 said to be good eating. 



