321 



Genus FULICA. 



Fulica, Brisson, Orn. vi. p. 23 (1760). 



Lv/pha apud Beichenbach, Natiirl. Syst. p. xxi (1851). 



The Coots inhabit the Paleearctic, Ethiopian, Oriental, Australian, Nearctic, and Neotropical 

 Begions, two species being resident in the Western Palsearctic Begion. Like the birds belonging 

 to the preceding genera, they frequent marshy and damp localities, usually lakes and ponds 

 bordered with aquatic herbage. They pass most of their time swimming about on the open 

 portions, so close, however, to cover that they can at once take shelter in case of need. Some- 

 times they may be seen wading about in shallow places ; but they walk rather clumsily. They 

 are companionable, and are often found in large flocks. They swim and dive extremely well ; and 

 their flight is tolerably good, though they rise with difficulty and splash along for some distance 

 before they rise fairly into the air. Their call-note is clear and trumpet-like, and can be heard 

 at a great distance. They feed on aquatic insects, seeds, tender shoots and buds, worms, shell- 

 fish, &c, obtaining the last by diving. Their nests, which ax'e placed either amongst the 

 reeds and aquatic herbage or on the ground near the water, are bulky, constructed of dried flags, 

 reeds, &c, and lined with finer materials ; and their eggs, which are numerous, are yellowish 

 grey, tolerably closely dotted and marked with blackish brown. 



Fulica atra, the type of the genus, has the bill nearly as long as the head, stout, tapering, 

 compressed, the ridges of the upper mandible narrow, enlarged at the base into an elliptical 

 tumid plate, which extends beyond the eyes ; nasal groove large ; the nostrils submedian, linear- 

 oblong; wings short, rounded, the first quill much shorter than the second, which is longest, the 

 third being about equally long; tail soft, short, rounded; feet large, tibia bare for a short 

 distance ; tarsus strong, compressed, scutellate ; toes long, slender, scutellate above, flat beneath, 

 edged with broad scalloped membranes ; claws long, slender, slightly curved, compressed, acute. 



i 7 8 



