116 MANUAL 



just how without a careful comparison of the birds. They ap- 

 pear to set higher upon their legs, have rounder bodies, and 

 to be stouter (more robust) everyway. 



Genera, Gallinula, The Florida Gallinule. 

 Ionornis, The Purple Gallinule. 



Both genera were formerly Gallinula, Ionornis was also Porphyrio. 



Sub-family c FULICIN-ffi Coots 



Frontal shield present, and toes with scalloped membranes. 

 The body has none of that compressed shape so noticeable in 

 a and barely seen in b, but is rather the reverse as to pressure 

 (depressed rather than compressed). This is an inland bird, 

 and common all over the continent. It has a single genus 

 and a single species. 



Genus, Fulica, The Coot or Mud Hen. 



FAMILY L PHOENICOPTERIDAE THE 

 FLAMINGOES 



Greek plioinikopteros (Latin similar), red-winged. 

 The extraordinary bird for which this family is formulated 

 has been placed by some writers with the Storks, the Cranes, 

 etc., and by others with the Geese and Ducks. By placing it 

 between the two, yet not making it a subordinate portion of 

 either, we overcome the difficulty as much as it seems to us to 

 be possible. The Flamingo is a bird that could not be mis- 

 taken for any other known species. Its immensely long neck 

 and legs, its curiously formed bill, and its size, place it at 

 once. The adult plumage is scarlet with black ends to the 

 wings. There are but few species and they occur in the trop- 

 ical portions of the globe. Our species inhabit the Southern 

 portion of North America, and build immense mud piles for 

 nests — a curious study in themselves. We have but one ge- 

 nus and a single species. 

 Genus, PJiosnicopierus, The American Flamingo. 



