398 ALECTORIDBS. 



Fulica atra. 



THE EUROPEAN COOT. 



Falica atra, Linn. S. N. ed. 10, I. 1758, 152 ; ed. 12, I. 1766, 257. — Keys. & Blas. Wirb. Eur. 

 1840, 68. — Naum. Vog. Deutschl. IX. 1838, 635, pi. 241. — Suhleg. Kev. Crit. 1844, 102. — 

 Macgill. Man. Om. II. 118 ; Hist. Brit. B. IV. 1852, 560. — Ridgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, 

 no. 580 (Greenland, fid'' Prof. J. Reinhardt). — Coues, Check List, 2d ed. 1882, no. 885. 



Fulica aterrima, Eetz. Faun. Suec. 1800, 199. — Bkeh.m, Vbg. Deutschl. 1831, 710, pi. 36, fig. 4. 



Falica Uucoryx, Gmel. S. N. I. 1788, 703. 



Fulica cethiops, Gmel. t. c. 704. 



Fulica platyuros, Biiehm, Vog. Deutsclil. 711. 



Hab. Paloearctic Region in general ; accidental in Greenland (Prof. J. Reinhardt). 



Sp. Char. Adult : Head and neck black, this changing gradually into very dark plumbeous- 

 slate on the upper parts, and to lighter, more grayish, .slate on the lower surface ; rump, posterior 

 scapulars, and hind part of back more or less tinged with dark olivaceous ; under surface of pri- 

 maries silvery gray ; edge of wing and very narrow margin to outer web of outer primary, white. 

 Bill (in life) pale red at the base, the tip white ; frontal plate bluish white ; iris crimson ; feet 

 bluish gray tinged with olive ; the bare part of the tibia orange ; claws olivaceous (Macgillivrav). 

 Youny: Similar to the adult, but more grayish ; the bill and frontal plate dull greenish ; the iris 

 brown, etc. Downy young : Sooty blackish above, dark sooty gray below ; neck, back, and wings 

 ornamented with fine dull-white filaments, the forehead and lores with peculiar small, thickened, 

 and somewhat curled horny attachments to the down, of a pale dull orange-color (perhaps bright 

 orange or reddish in life) ; basal half of bill pale brownish (reddish or orange in life ?), the 

 terminal half porcelain-white, tipped with jet-lilack. 



Total length, about 16.00 inches ; extent of wings, 22.00 ; wing, 7.70-8.80 ; culmen (including 

 frontal plate), 1.70-2.00; tarsus, 2,25-2.35 ; middle toe, 2.85-3.15. 



Family ARAMIDJE. — The Courlans. 



Aramidcc, BoNAP. Consp. II. 1855, 103. 



Chae. Large Rail-like birds, differing from the true Rails {Rallida') in the outer 

 primary being shorter than the seventh, its inner web greatly narrowed, as if cut 

 away, except at end ; t!ie elongated bill (about ec^nal to the tarsus) slightly curved 

 to one side at the tip ; the inner secondaries well developed, broad, their webs 

 slightly decomposed ; the rectrices well developed, firm, and very distinct from the 

 coverts. 



The Courlans are very closely related to the true Rails, and so far as the external 

 structure is concerned, scarcely differ except in the peculiarities pointed out above, 

 none of which, however, seem to be shared by any of the Rallidce proper. But one 

 genus is known, the characters of which are as follows : — 



Genus ARAMUS, Vieili.ot. 



Aramus, Vieill. Anal3'se, 1816, 58 (type, Courliri, Buff., =.irdca scolopacca, Gmei,. ). — BAir.n, 

 B. N. Am. 18,58, 657. 



Char. Bill elongated, much compressed, both mandibles dccuvved and turned sliglitly to one 

 side at tip. Gonys very long. Bill of equal width nearly from base to tip ; nostrils pervious, in 



