89 



Quietly watching the open leads through the marsh, one sometimes 

 sees a swimming bird of duck-like outline sitting high in the water with 

 upturned tail and progressing with a series of graceful backward and for- 

 ward jerkings of the head. This alone is nearly enough for recognition 

 of the Gallinules; but the brilliantly-coloured bill and frontal plate, visible 

 at considerable distances in the bright sunshine, will make recognition 

 certain. Sometimes individuals are jumped by the observer, quietly poling 

 along a narrow winding channel, when off they go spattering along the 

 surface and making a great amount of disturbance until wing borne. The 

 Gallinules swim habitually and with ease, but rarely venture out in open 

 water like the Coots, confining themselves to the small pools in the marsh 

 or to the clear leads or passages that thread them. 



218. Purple Gallinule. lonornis martinicus. L, 13. Resembles the Florida 

 GaUinule, but neck and underparts iridescent with pronounced purplish-blue; frontal 

 plate (Figure 26, p. 22) plumbous blue instead of red; and legs yellow instead of green. 

 Juveniles are siinilar but reduced in tones and with only traces of iridescence. 



Distinctions. Can only be mistaken for the Florida GaUinule, but above characters 

 and absence of conspicuous white streaks on flanks are differences. 



Field Marks. Gallinule or Mud-hen-like outline, decided blue iridescence, yellow 

 legs, and all white under tail coverts. 



Distribution. Tropical and subtropical America regularly north to the CaroUnas. 



Of only accidental occurrence in Canada. To be looked for only in 

 the most southern sections. 



219. Florida Gallinule. rice-bird, mud-hen. red-billed mud-hen. fr. — 

 GALLINULE DE LA FLORiDE. GalUnula gaUald. L, 13-50. An almost evenly coloured, 

 slate-blue bird; darker on head and a Uttle lighter below, tinged with slightly iridescent 

 reddish-brown; conspicuous white flank streaks and a small edging of same under tail; bill 

 and frontal plate (Figure 26, p. 22) bright red; legs green with red garters just below the 

 feathering. 



Distinctions. Distinguished from Purple Gallinule by the characters mentioned above; 

 from the Coot, which it closely resembles, by red instead of white bill and frontal plate, 

 white flank lines, brownish back, and clean unwebbed toes. 



Field Marks. Red bill and frontal plate, white flank streaks, brownish back, and all 

 dark secondary tips when flying. 



Nesting. Usually on a slight eminence such as an old muskrat house in watery marshes, 

 in nest of waste vegetable fragments. 



Distribution. More northern than the Purple GraUinule, and regularly common in 

 Canada only along the lower Great Lakes. 



This is the best known Mud-hen of southern Canada. Its fairly large 

 size and palatable flesh, due to its fondness for wild rice and other marsh 

 seeds, renders it an object of pursuit by the sportsman. It requires more 

 open water than the Rails, but in general resembles them in habits. It 

 is a rather noisy bird, especially at night; and during the day joins the 

 Rails in their chorus of surprise at unusual and unexpected disturbances. 

 At times one bird will suddenly utter a volley of cackles, answered immed- 

 iately by another, and another, and for a few moments the apparently 

 deserted marsh is a small pandemonium of unexpected bird sounds. 



Economic Status. Except as a game bird the Gallinule is of little 

 account economically. 



