CINERKEUUS COOT. 633 
CINEREOUS COOT.—FULICA AMERICANA. —Fic. 306. 
Turton, 1, 424.— Lath. Gen. Syn. 3, 275. — Id. Sup. 259. — Ind. Orn. si. T17.— 
Gerin. Orn. 5, t. 425, — Faun, Suec. 193.— Scop, Aun. 1, No. 149.— Brun. 
190. — Muller, No, 216.— Kram. El. p. 357, 1.— Frisch. t, 208. — George 
Reise, p. 172. — La Foulque, ou Morelle, Briss. Orn. i 23,1, pl. 2, fig. 2.— 
Buff. Ois. 15, p. 327. Pl. enl. No. 197.— The Coot, Raii Syn. p. 116, A. 1. 
— Will. Orn. p. 319, pl. 59.— Albin. 1, pl. 83. — Br. Zool. No. 220, pl. T7.— 
Arct. Zool. No. 416.— Coot, or Bald Coot, Bewick, 2, 127. — Sloane, Jam. 2, 
320. — Fulica Floridana, Bartram, p. 296. — Peale's Museum, No. 4322. 
FULICA AMERICANA. — Gme.in.* 
Fulica Americana, Sub. Append. to Capt. Frank. Exp. p. 690.— Bonap. Synop. 
p- 338. —Fulica atra, Wilson’s List. 
Tus: species makes its appearance in Pennsylvania about the first 
of October. Among the muddy flats and islands of the River Dela- 
ware, which are periodically overflowed, and which are overgrown 
with the reed, or wild oats, and rushes, the Coots are found. They 
are not numerous, and are seldom seen, except their places of resort be 
covered with water; in that case they are generally found sitting on 
the fallen reed, waiting for the ebbing of the tide, which will enable 
them to feed. Their food consists of various aquatic plants, seeds, 
insects, and, it is said, small fish, The Coot has an aversion to take 
wing, and can seldom be sprung in its retreat at low water; for, al- 
though it walks rather awkwardly, yet it contrives to skulk through 
the grass and reeds with great speed, the compressed form of its body, 
like that of the Rail genus, being well adapted to the purpose. It 
swims remarkably well, and, when wounded, will dive like a Duck. 
When closely pursued in the water, it generally takes to the shore, 
rising with apparent reluctance, like a wounded Duck, and fluttering 
* This description commences the ninth and supplementary volume of the origi- 
nal, printed by Mr. Ord, after the decease of Wilson, from his notes. The volume 
was published in 1814, and a second edition appeared in 1825, correcting several 
mistakes which had occurred in the first. Our present bird was there described as 
identical with that of Europe, and a detail of the habits of our native species given 
as belonging to it; these Mr. Ord has corrected. The distinctions, I believe, were 
first pointed out by Mr. Sabine, in the Appendix to Captain Franklin's Narrative, 
and I now add them in that gentleman’s words :— 
“ They are of the same length, though there is a general ‘inferiority in the size of 
the body, as well as of the legs, lead, and bill of the American; the bill is smaller, 
Jess thick and strong, and shorter by a quarter of an inch; the callus, independent 
of the difference in color in the American bird, extends, only half an inch over the 
head, but in the European, above an inch; the whole head is smaller; the plumage, 
generally, is similar in color and character; the outer margin of the first primary 
feathers of the wing, is more conspicuously marked with white, and there are a few 
white feathers on the upper edge of the wing; the secondaries in both are tipped 
with white; the principal difference in the plumage is, that in the American the 
feathers at the vent are quite black, and the under tail-coverts white ; in the Euro- 
pean Coot, these correspond with the rest of the plumage ; the legs are much more 
slender in the American bird ; the tarse of the European measures near two inches 
and a half, that of the American not quite two inches: the toes are smaller in like 
proportion ; the middle toe, including the claw, of the European Coot, is three 
inches and three quarters long; of the American, three inches and one quarter 
only.” — Ep. 
