542 CLASS AVES. 



former. These birds are insectivorous when young, but the 

 adult add grains, &c. of various kinds to this aliment. 



The Banded Crake, the White-chinned Gallinule, and the 

 White-spotted Crake, heretofore unfigured species, are de- 

 scribed at pages 409 and 410 of this volume. 



On the birds of the genus Fulica, we may generally 

 remark that, though unprovided with palmate feet, they swim 

 and dive with great facility. 



Its first subdivision, the Water Hens (Gallinulae), though 

 often on the dry land, yet seem to claim fresh waters as their 

 true domain. They generally live on those which are stag- 

 nant. They are usually seen singly, or in couples. They 

 do not often swim except to pass from one bank to another in 

 search of small fish, aquatic insects, plants, &c. They are 

 fond of the place in which they were born, and always revisit 

 it. The day they pass concealed in the reeds and rushes, 

 and only trust themselves on the surface of the waters in the 

 evening, or at night. Their flight is neither elevated, sus- 

 tained, nor rapid. They place their nest on the edge of the 

 bank, composed of dry rushes rudely heaped together. The 

 young ones can run as soon as they are excluded from the 

 '€gg, and follow the mother but for a few days. They are 

 natives of both continents. 



On the other two subdivisions of Fulica, the Sultanas and 

 Fulica proper, or the coots, there is nothing to be added, 

 except that the former, though aquatic birds, show a fondness 

 for the productions of the dry land. The opposite is a figure 

 of the Purple Gallinule (Fulica Porphyrio), the description 

 of which will be found at page 412 of the text. The figure 

 of the Thick-billed Coot is from apparently a new species, 

 which was brought from South America by our friend, the 

 Rev. Mr. Hennah. The bill, remarkably high, and the 

 frontal plate are yellowish, mixed with black ; the head, 

 neck, breast, and fore-part of the belly, are ash, deepest on 

 the breast ; the mantle and quills are deep brown ; the wing- 



