330 EALLID^.— HELIORNITHIDiE. 



city of Mexico (W1iite% Laguna de Chapulco, Puebla, Laguna del Eosario, 

 Tlaxcala {Ferrari-Perez ^% Jonatal, Vera Cruz {Trujillo^% Jalapa {Salle ^, 

 Be Oca^), Lake Patzcuaro {Baker ^^), San Mateo", Santa Maria del Mar^^, 

 Tehuantepec ^^ {Sumichrast), Cozumel I. {Gaumer ^^ ^4) ; Guatemala,' Lake of 

 Peten {0. *S. 24), Lake of Duenas^^^e^ Coban24 {0. S. & F. B. G.); Honddkas, 

 Chilomo {Lei/land ^) ; Nicaragua, Escondido Eiver {Richmond ^^) ; Costa Bica, 

 San Antonio {Carmiol^), between San Jose and Cartago ^^ {v. Frantzius) ; Panama, 

 Laguna del Castillo i*, Calobre24 {Arce). — West Indies 2*. 



The American Coot is principally a winter visitor to Central America, though 

 Grayson says that in Mazatlan a few pairs breed every summer. From October to 

 May the species is abundant, and we found it nesting plentifully on the Lake of Duenas 

 in Guatemala during these months. 



The habits of F. americana are similar to those of the European F. atra, and, like it, 

 this species is occasionally found in large flocks. The eggs are from six to eight in 

 number, of a pinkish stone-colour or pale buff, with numerous small dots and specks of 

 pale purple and blackish-brown. 



Fam. HELIOENITHID^;. 



The Fin-foots, as these birds are popularly named, are nearly related to the Rallidae, 

 but nevertheless show some similarity in outward appearance to the Grebes. They 

 have broad lateral webs to the toes like the Coots and Grebes, and, as in the latter, 

 the plumage is close-set and adapted for diving, at which the Fin-foots are thoroughly 

 expert. When, however, we examine the other anatomical characters of the Family, 

 we find that they are aberrant Rails or Coots, and have no very close relationship with 

 the Grebes. 



The Heliornithidse constitute a peculiar section of the Fulicariae, and are confined 

 to the tropical areas of both hemispheres. Heliomis, with a single species, is 

 restricted to the Neotropical Region ; Podica, with three species, to the Ethiopian ; 

 and Heliopais, with a single species, to the Indo-Malayan Subregion. 



All the species frequent the reedy margins of large rivers, and are shy and difficult 

 to procure, being expert swimmers and divers. 



HELIORNIS. 



Heliomis, Bonn. Tabl. Meth, i., Intr. p. 64 (1790) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 233 

 (1894). 



Mr. Beddard (P. Z. S. 1890, p. 425) has written an exhaustive memoir on the 

 African Fin-foot {Podica senegalemis), from which we gather the principal peculiarities 

 of the genus Podica and its allies, of which Heliomis is one. The external characters 



