THE FLORIDA GALLINULE. 



{Gallinula galeata.) 



The Florida or Common Gallinule is 

 an interesting bird which presents to the 

 observer many startling characteristics. 

 Its voice, its manner of feeding, walking 

 and swimming, and its nest, are all 

 worthy of study and will fascinate the 

 student who seeks for knowledge in the 

 domain of Nature. It is an inhabitant 

 of the quiet swamps of the Eastern Unit- 

 ed States, where it breeds from the Gulf 

 of Mexico northward to the British 

 Provinces. However, its center of 

 abundance is in those southern states that 

 border the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf 

 of Mexico. It is also a resident of Cen- 

 tral America and of South America as 

 far southward as Brazil and Chili. 



The Florida Gallinule is an aquatic 

 bird and is closely related to the rails and 

 coots, and belongs to the same family 

 (Rallidse). Though it moves rapidly 

 and gracefully through the water its toes 

 are not webbed, but are merely mar- 

 gined by a narrow membrane. The toes 

 of the coots are margined by a broader 

 and lobed membrane and those of the 

 rails are entirely naked. Because of its 

 close resemblance to the moor-hen, or 

 the gallinule of Europe, it is commonly 

 called the American Gallinule. As its 

 habits are very similar to those of the 

 mud-hen (king rail) it is not infre- 

 quently named the Red-billed Mud-hen. 

 The Florida Gallinules vary both in the 

 size and form of the frontal shield 

 and in the size of the white paten 

 on the abdomen. Dr. Ridgway has sug- 

 gested that, as these variations are not 

 dependent on locality, they probably 

 have some connection with age and sea- 

 son, the white on the abdomen being 

 more marked on winter specimens. 



On land, the Gallinule presents a dig- 

 nified appearance, "threading its way 



deftly among the stems of the bushes 

 and tall rushes, stepping daintily, lifting 

 and putting down its feet slowly and al- 

 most incessantly jerking up its tail with 

 a quick, nervous motion which causes the 

 under coverts to flash like the sudden 

 flirt of a handkerchief." When standing, 

 the Gallinule is a graceful bird and is 

 especially attractive when the scarlet of 

 its bill and frontal shield flash in the 

 bright sunlight. It enjoys frequent baths 

 and will spend much time carefully dress- 

 ing its plumage. 



It is impossible to describe the calls of 

 the Gallinule for they are numerous and 

 quite complex. All of its notes are very 

 loud and utttered in discordant and harsh 

 voice. 



Mr. William Brewster has given the 

 following account of a pair : "Late one 

 afternoon we suddenly heard a great out- 

 cry and soon our pair of Gallinules ap- 

 peared ; the female, who was much the 

 plainer colored in every respect, swim- 

 ming swiftly, her tail lowered and about 

 in line with' the back; the male, flapping 

 his wings on the water in his eagerness 

 to overtake her. This he soon succeeded 

 in doing, but just as he clutched at her 

 with open bill, she eluded him by a sud- 

 den clever turn. He then swam round 

 her in a narrow circle, carrying his tail 

 widespread and erect, his neck arched, 

 his scarlet front fairly blazing and ap- 

 parently much enlarged and inflated. 

 Seeing that she would not permit his ap- 

 proaches, he soon gave over the pursuit 

 while the female swam into the bushes. 

 During the chase one of the birds, pre- 

 sumably the male, uttered repeatedly the 

 following cry : ticket-ticket-ticket-ticket. 

 This was doubtless a wooing note, for 

 we heard it on no other occasion." 



11 



