THE COOT 245 
THE COOT. WHITE-BILLED MUD-HEN. 
“CROW DUCK.” 
(Fulica americana.) 
A common bird in our marshes, well known 
to the duck hunter, and remarkable principally 
for its long, lobed toes. This bird is a sort of 
connecting link,—an intermediate family be- 
tween the gallinules and the waterfowl! proper. 
It closely resembles the gallinules save that its 
feet are furnished with wide lobes on the toes, 
much like the feet of a grebe, while the gallinule 
has the long, slender toes of the rail family. 
The Coot is most common in the fresh water 
ponds and lakes, avoiding the rivers and ap- 
pearing only casually in the sea marshes, 
plainly preferring the still waters and stagnant 
fens where there is an abundance of water in- 
sects and vegetable matter. They swim well 
and dive as deftly as any duck. The writer has 
met them several times swimming in a broad 
arm of the sea, almost the open ocean. 
The Coot arrives in our latitude about the 
middle of April and goes about its nesting at 
once, sometimes raising two broods in a sea- 
