RALIJD.E — THE COOTS — FITLICA. 



39" 



till' grass of a Hiivaium IxmltTiiiK llif rivi-r. ITc plainly saw tht'iu nibble tin- tciKU'r 

 grass in the Hanuj manner as |)()ultry. When Im Hred into tin- flock, tlic survivors, 

 iiffr running a few steps, rose iiiid tlew ol't' toward tlie river, their legs hanging 

 behind, their wings pro hieing a constant whirr. Whih' swininiing they tlew with 

 ea.se. although not with aueh speed, and moved the head and neck in unison with 

 their feet. 



Mr. Moore states that Mr. Audubon was in error in sujijuising that this bird never 

 dives. It is not in the habit of iniiuersing its entire body; yet he has oeea.sionally 

 seen one or two birds, in a sipiail of fou-.' or six. jdungo and remain so hmg beneath 

 tiie surface that this had becomti smooth before they emerged. This is freipiently 

 done by one individual while others by its siiUs are engagi'd in picking from th» sur- 

 face. In like manner the eommon FuHni atnt of Eurojie dives and brings up its food 

 from the bottom in a very skilful manner. 



Mr. Moore is of the opinion that this bird rarely breeds in Florida. Tt comes in 

 tldcks about the liOth of Sciiteiubcr, and often remains in the same pond until its 

 departure, which takes plaee between the last of ^lareh and the Idth of Ainil. At 

 tlio appi'oaidi of danger the Coot does not sink its body in the water, but, like the 

 (iallinule, hurries to a covert by striking the water with its feet and tiying. The 

 forward stroke of its wing is performed when swimming slowly in search of food. 

 When moving with its highest speed, it uses its feet only, its head and neck being 

 cirried as steadily as those of a DiU'k. 



Two eggs in my collection (No. llTo) — collected in ^linnesota by Mr. B. F. Goss — 

 have a ground-color of a light grayish bulf, sprinkled uniformly with very minute 

 specks and round ilots of imrplish black. In shape these eggs are of an oiilong oval, 

 tapering at one end and rounded slightly at the other; thes«' measure, one 1.85 inches 

 by 1.85, the other l.*,)(> inches by \.'M). A third, from Lake Koskonong, Wis., is oval in 

 shape, the smaller end being hardly peroei)tibly less than the other; its ground-color 

 is a deei» butf, with a decided reddish tinge : the spots, though small, are larger, 

 deeper, and more uniformly rounded, but still sparsely scattered. This egg (No. 78) 

 measures 1.81' inches by l.lio. 



A nest of this species obtained from a reedy swamp at .Marysville, Utah, i.s com- 

 j){)sed entirely of coarse reeds. It is eight inches high, thirteen inches wide, and 

 has a cavity four inches deep. It contained ten eggs. Dr. J. C. .Merrill mentions 

 iiaving found as many as fourteen eggs in a single nest. Mr. \S. F. Goss writes me 

 tiiat it is very abundant in Wisconsin in early spring, and that later in the season 

 it congregates in flocks, frequenting more open water. Its preference is for shal- 

 low water, muddy bottoms, the vicinity of reeds and rushes, and during its breeding- 

 season it is nirtdy found far from such situations. Its nest is built al)out the last of 

 May, in some thick cover, where the old growth is brf)ken down, forming a platform 

 just above the mud or shallow water. It is built with some care, rather deeply hol- 

 lowed, and composed of ruslus, flag-leaves, etc. Eleven eggs have been found in a 

 nest, but the usual number is eight or lune. The eggs vary in length from 1.75 to 

 I'.lO inches, and in breadth from 1.17 to 1.42 inches. The ground-color is dark gray- 

 ish cream, thickly covered with fine spots of different shades of dark brown, lilac, etc. 

 Its nest is usually so carefully concealed that it is usually much more difficult to find 

 than that of the Gallinule. 





