﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  

  

  287 
  

  

  I 
  St 
  to 
  the 
  1 
  6th 
  of 
  May; 
  a 
  few 
  remain 
  to 
  breed 
  in 
  the 
  Montezrima 
  marshes 
  

   and 
  about 
  the 
  eastern 
  end 
  of 
  Lake 
  Ontario. 
  Some 
  seasons 
  quite 
  a 
  number 
  

   of 
  them 
  are 
  found; 
  other 
  years 
  they 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  entirely 
  absent 
  as 
  summer 
  

   residents. 
  Thev 
  also 
  breed 
  in 
  the 
  Newark 
  marshes 
  of 
  New 
  Jersey, 
  and 
  Mr 
  

   Hendrickson 
  thinks 
  that 
  the}' 
  have 
  bred 
  in 
  company 
  with 
  the 
  gallinules 
  

   at 
  Long 
  Island 
  City. 
  In 
  fall, 
  migrant 
  coots 
  begin 
  to 
  appear 
  in 
  numbers 
  

   from 
  the 
  i:;th 
  to 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  September 
  and 
  the 
  few 
  which 
  are 
  not 
  killed 
  

  

  Nest 
  and 
  eggs 
  of 
  American 
  coot. 
  (From 
  Bird-Lore. 
  Photo 
  by 
  Bent) 
  

  

  by 
  our 
  gunners 
  disappear 
  from 
  the 
  ist 
  to 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  November, 
  occasional 
  

   stragglers 
  remaining 
  well 
  into 
  December. 
  

  

  Coots 
  swim 
  as 
  lightly 
  and 
  easily 
  as 
  ducks 
  and 
  are 
  occasionally 
  seen 
  

   on 
  the 
  wide 
  waters 
  of 
  our 
  lakes 
  and 
  bavs. 
  They 
  prefer 
  the 
  shallow 
  lagoons, 
  

   however, 
  near 
  the 
  shelter 
  of 
  dense 
  reeds 
  and 
  flags, 
  whither 
  the}^ 
  retreat 
  when 
  

   danger 
  threatens 
  them. 
  When 
  rising 
  from 
  the 
  water 
  they 
  patter 
  for 
  a 
  long 
  

   distance 
  on 
  its 
  surface 
  until 
  they 
  have 
  gained 
  sufficient 
  momentum 
  to 
  

   launch 
  themselves 
  m 
  the 
  air, 
  when 
  thev 
  fiv 
  off 
  at 
  a 
  low 
  elevation 
  with 
  legs 
  

   stretched 
  backward 
  very 
  much 
  in 
  the 
  manner 
  of 
  rails 
  and 
  gallinules. 
  

  

  