﻿2 
  86 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  est 
  vocal 
  perfonnances 
  is 
  a 
  loud 
  and 
  prolonged 
  outcry 
  consisting 
  of 
  a 
  suc- 
  

   cession 
  of 
  henlike 
  clicks, 
  given 
  rather 
  slowly 
  and 
  at 
  nearly 
  regular 
  intervals, 
  

   and 
  frequently 
  ending 
  with 
  a 
  harsh, 
  drawling 
  kee-ar-r, 
  kree-ar-r. 
  They 
  

   have 
  other 
  calls 
  so 
  numerous, 
  complex 
  and 
  variable 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  

   describe 
  them 
  briefly 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  adequately. 
  Sometimes 
  they 
  

   give 
  four 
  or 
  five 
  loud, 
  harsh 
  screams 
  very 
  like 
  those 
  of 
  a 
  hen 
  in 
  the 
  clutches 
  

   of 
  a 
  hawk, 
  but 
  uttered 
  more 
  slowly 
  and 
  at 
  wider 
  intervals; 
  sometimes 
  a 
  

   series 
  of 
  sounds 
  closely 
  resembling 
  those 
  of 
  a 
  brooding 
  hen 
  when 
  disturbed, 
  

   but 
  sharper 
  and 
  louder, 
  succeeded 
  by 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  lower, 
  more 
  querulous 
  

   cries 
  interiTiingled 
  with 
  subdued 
  clucking; 
  occasionally 
  something 
  which 
  

   sounds 
  like 
  kr-r-r-r-r, 
  kruck-kruck, 
  krar-r, 
  kb-kb-kb-kb-kea-kea, 
  delivered 
  

   rapidly 
  and 
  falling 
  in 
  pitch 
  towards 
  the 
  end. 
  Shorter 
  and 
  more 
  frequent 
  

   utterances 
  are 
  a 
  low 
  kloc-kloc, 
  or 
  kloc-kloc-kloc 
  and 
  a 
  single 
  explosive 
  kiip 
  

   very 
  like 
  the 
  ejaculation 
  of 
  a 
  startled 
  frog. 
  Nearly 
  all 
  these 
  cries 
  are 
  loud 
  

   and 
  discordant 
  and 
  most 
  of 
  them 
  are 
  curiously 
  henlike. 
  [Bird-Lore 
  4, 
  2, 
  50]. 
  

  

  Fulica 
  americana 
  Gmelin 
  

   American 
  Coot 
  

  

  Plate 
  27 
  

  

  Fulica 
  americana 
  Gmelin. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  1788. 
  Ed. 
  i. 
  2:704 
  

  

  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  272, 
  fig. 
  233 
  

   A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  221 
  

  

  fu'lica, 
  Lat., 
  coot 
  (from 
  sooty 
  color); 
  amcricd'na, 
  of 
  America 
  

  

  Description. 
  Under 
  plumage 
  very 
  dense 
  for 
  aquatic 
  life; 
  toes 
  with 
  

   large 
  rounded 
  flaps 
  or 
  lobes 
  on 
  each 
  joint; 
  nostrils 
  linear. 
  General 
  color 
  

   dark 
  slate, 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  neck 
  nearly 
  black, 
  the 
  back 
  tinged 
  with 
  olive; 
  

   marginal 
  under 
  tail 
  coverts, 
  edge 
  of 
  wing, 
  and 
  tips 
  of 
  secondaries 
  white; 
  

   feet 
  olive-green; 
  bill 
  whitish, 
  the 
  frontal 
  shield 
  and 
  spot 
  near 
  the 
  tip 
  deep 
  

   reddish 
  brown 
  ; 
  eyes 
  red. 
  

  

  Length 
  13-16 
  inches; 
  extent 
  23-27; 
  wing 
  7-8; 
  tail 
  2; 
  tarsus 
  2-2.2; 
  

   middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw 
  3; 
  bill, 
  without 
  frontal 
  shield, 
  1.2 
  5-1. 
  6; 
  weight 
  16-20 
  

   ounces. 
  

  

  The 
  Coot 
  is 
  a 
  common 
  transient 
  visitant 
  in 
  the 
  marshes 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  

   State 
  but 
  is 
  much 
  less 
  common 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  than 
  during 
  the 
  fall 
  migrations. 
  

   It 
  arrives 
  from 
  the 
  ist 
  to 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  April 
  and 
  passes 
  northward 
  from 
  the 
  

  

  