﻿2 
  88 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  When 
  ill 
  our 
  waters 
  the 
  coots 
  are 
  usually 
  silent 
  birds, 
  but 
  sometimes 
  utter 
  

   a 
  low 
  klitck, 
  and 
  when 
  gathered 
  in 
  numbers 
  they 
  engage 
  m 
  a 
  confused 
  gab- 
  

   bling 
  and 
  clattering. 
  

  

  The 
  Coot's 
  nest 
  is 
  a 
  mass 
  of. 
  flags 
  and 
  dead 
  vegetation, 
  but 
  resembles 
  

   the 
  crrebe's 
  more 
  than 
  the 
  gallinule's 
  in 
  location, 
  being 
  built 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  

   shallow 
  water 
  in 
  a 
  slight 
  opening 
  among 
  the 
  flags. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  from 
  8 
  to 
  

   1 
  6 
  in 
  number, 
  of 
  a 
  buffy 
  white, 
  minutely 
  and 
  uniformly 
  dotted 
  with 
  blackish 
  

   brown 
  and 
  obscure 
  tints, 
  sometimes 
  in 
  larger 
  blotches; 
  average 
  size 
  1.9 
  

   X 
  1.32 
  inches. 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  the 
  Mud 
  hen. 
  Meadow 
  hen. 
  Water 
  hen, 
  Crow 
  bill. 
  Hen 
  bill, 
  

   Crow 
  duck, 
  Blue 
  peter 
  or 
  White-billed 
  mud 
  hen 
  of 
  the 
  gunners. 
  Its 
  flesh, 
  

   though 
  palatable, 
  is 
  inferior 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Sora 
  and 
  our 
  better 
  ducks. 
  

  

  Order 
  LIIVHCOLAE 
  

  

  Plover, 
  Snipe 
  etc. 
  

  

  Order 
  Charadriiformes, 
  Sharpe's 
  Hand-List 
  

  

  Small, 
  or 
  medium 
  sized; 
  bill 
  with 
  a 
  soft 
  skin 
  covering 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  of 
  

   the 
  basal 
  portion, 
  grooved 
  from 
  the 
  base 
  to 
  the 
  hardened 
  teniiinal 
  portion; 
  

   nostrils 
  open 
  slits 
  in 
  the 
  membraneous 
  basal 
  portions; 
  legs 
  normally 
  long 
  

   and 
  slender, 
  and 
  scutellate, 
  at 
  least 
  in 
  front; 
  tibia 
  usually 
  bare 
  for 
  some 
  

   distance; 
  front 
  toes, 
  at 
  least 
  the 
  middle 
  and 
  outer, 
  usually 
  connected 
  at 
  

   the 
  base 
  with 
  a 
  small 
  web; 
  hind 
  toe 
  smaller 
  and 
  elevated, 
  or 
  wanting; 
  

   claws 
  small, 
  sharp 
  and 
  slightly 
  curved; 
  wings 
  normally 
  long, 
  flat 
  and 
  pointed, 
  

   the 
  outer 
  primaries 
  longest, 
  the 
  inner 
  secondaries 
  elongated, 
  giving 
  the 
  

   extended 
  wing 
  a 
  V-shaped 
  appearance; 
  tail 
  rather 
  short, 
  stiff, 
  broad 
  and 
  

   rounded. 
  Cervical 
  vertebrae 
  15, 
  cervico-dorsals 
  2, 
  dorsals 
  5 
  to 
  6; 
  palate 
  

   schizognathous 
  ; 
  nasals 
  schizorhinal. 
  

  

  Most 
  members 
  of 
  this 
  order 
  prefer 
  the 
  shore, 
  mud 
  flats, 
  or 
  open 
  

   marshes, 
  and 
  feed 
  on 
  mollusks, 
  crustaceans 
  and 
  insects 
  in 
  the 
  mud 
  or 
  along 
  

   the 
  moist 
  strand. 
  They 
  nest 
  iipon 
  the 
  ground. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  usually 
  

   four 
  in 
  number, 
  well 
  spotted 
  or 
  blotched 
  with 
  dark 
  colors, 
  which 
  renders 
  

   them 
  quite 
  inconspicuous 
  among 
  the 
  grass 
  or 
  pebbles. 
  The 
  young 
  are 
  

   precocious 
  and 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  soft 
  gray 
  or 
  buify 
  down 
  marked 
  with 
  blackish, 
  

   and 
  lie 
  quite 
  flat 
  and 
  still 
  when 
  approached, 
  to 
  escape 
  being 
  seen 
  by 
  their 
  

   enemies. 
  Many 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  are 
  gregarious 
  in 
  habit 
  and 
  perfonii 
  extensive 
  

  

  