RIARSH BIRDS 118 



characteristic which immediately distinguishes a gallinule's 

 nest from that of a coot. 



The number of eggs range from seven to fourteen. I 

 have eleven eggs taken IVIay 28, 1902, at Worth, Cook 

 County, Illinois. The nest was built of sedges and rushes 

 fastened in a clump of same over water three feet deep, on 

 the border of a pond. 



COOT 



The Coot, or Mud Hen, ranges throughout North 

 America to Alaska, being rare on the Atlantic coast but 

 abundant about marshes in the Mississippi Valley ; it ranges 

 south in winter to the Gulf States. 



The coot is one of the comiecting links between waders 

 and swimmers, partaking of the habits of our rails and 

 gallinules, but is more aquatic than either. The feet, like 

 those of the grebe, are lobed, enabling the bird to walk on 

 floating vegetation and over soft soil with great ease and 

 to swim more readily among reeds, etc. This bird is not 

 really a game bird, but is legally regarded as such. It fills 

 the bag of many would-be sportsmen who are unable to 

 shoot ducks or more palatable game. Coots are fairly abun- 

 dant throughout the United States and southern Canada. 

 Over the northern tier of states into Ontario and Manitoba 

 the mud hen summers in great numbers. 



This is our only marsh bird with a white bill, thus serv- 

 ing as an infallible field mark. When swimming the birds 

 accompany each sti'oke of the foot with a nodding of the 

 head similar to the movement on land of our semi-domesti- 

 cated dove or pigeon. 



