BIRDS OF NOETHEEN CANADA 327 



view on all sides, and it is common to see the female's long 

 neck raised suspiciously at the appearance in the distance 

 of anything unusual." There is but one specimen (and no 

 eggs), purchased with the Holman Collection, in the Cana- 

 dian Museum at Ottawa! 



214. SoRA — Porzana Carolina (Linn.). 



A bird supposed to belong to this species was shot near 

 Fort Providence, Mackenzie Eiver, on 20th Jime, 1885, and 

 it was afterwards forwarded to Dr. Bell. An individual 

 was also procured at Pelican Narrows in course of the 

 breeding season of 1890. Both Richardson and Ross state 

 that it ranges as far north as the sixty-second degree of 

 latitude. 



Mr. Spreadborough states that it " nests in clumps of 

 rushes and grass growing in water. Nest rather compact, 

 consisting of grass placed from six inches to one foot above 

 the water. Young leave the nest as soon as hatched. A 

 nest taken at Deep Lake, Indian Head, contained three eggs 

 and a young one just hatched, on 29th June, 1892. It was 

 dark slate on the back, below rather lighter, a chin patch of 

 bright orange, almost red, bill light horn colour, except the 

 base, which was red." The Ottawa Museum contains three 

 specimens, and a fine series of eggs taken at Crane Lake 

 and Edmonton. 



221. American Coot — Fulica ameiicana Gmelin. 



On the 7th of June, 1880, a nest was found on the 

 margin of a small pond of water near Fort Chipewyan, 

 Athabasca. It was composed of a mass of dried grasses, 

 down and feathers, placed in a depression in the ground, 

 and it held six eggs. The parent was shot nearby, and 

 Mr. Dalgleish, who received the female and her eggs, identi- 

 fied the same as belonging to this coot. In the spring of 

 1890 two nests of the species were found, — one of them at 

 Moose Lake and the other at Cumberland House. A male 



