CRESTED COOT. 85 



fell in witli this bird, and speaks of it thus: — "But 

 the principal features of the open water were the 

 myriads of Crested Coots, Wigeons, and Pochards. 

 The Wigeons never remain to breed, but flocks of 

 them still lingered, Avhile a month later not one of 

 them was to be seen. The Crested Coot appears in 

 no way to differ, as to its habits, from its well-known 

 congener, though its red naked forehead, with the 

 two conspicuous lobes, suflice to distinguish it at a 

 glance. It is somewhat the larger of the two species, 

 and the eggs run invariably from a quarter to half 

 an inch longer than those of the Common Coot. 

 Pushing among the reeds, we soon found two or 

 three of their nests, some placed among the stumps 

 of old reed clumps, others in little openings on 

 artificial mounds. I never found the Common Coot 

 here; and though it certainly occurs on the lake in 

 winter, in company with its congener, I believe that 

 each species confines itself to its own nesting-place. 

 Thus, in the lakes I visited in Eastern Algeria the 

 following Slimmer, while FuUca atra abounded, Fulica 

 cristata never once came under our observation." 



The Crested Coot is entirely black, and is distinguished 

 from the Common Coot by the bony protuberances or 

 caruncles at the top of the frontal plate, which are 

 red and prominent, on a white base, by the absence 

 of any white bar in the wings, and by its greater 

 size. The beak is whitish at the point, and reddish 

 at the base; legs and iris black. 



In the female the crest is less developed, as will be 

 seen in my figure, which is from a specimen of that 

 sex obtained by Mr. Tristram at Lake Halloula. 



Figured also by Buffbn, pi. enl. 797; and Bonaparte, 

 in his Introduction to the Fauna Italica. 



