﻿EXTERNAL ANATOMY. FEET OF FULICA. 157 



also are now greatly enlarged, and embrace two joints of 

 the outer, and one of the inner toe. In consequence of 

 this structure, we find that both these birds are excel- 

 lent swimmers. Of the first, the same observing natu- 

 ralist says, (C It frequents shady ponds, in which it 

 swims with ease and elegance; its attitudes much re- 

 sembling those of the common teal, and, like that bird, 

 it is continually dipping its bill into the water, picking 

 up the small insects which constitute its food. P. Fuli- 

 earius u was often seen swimming on the sea, far from 

 land; on the northern expeditions."* 



(135.) The Coots (Fulica) have their feet con- 

 structed on the same principle as the Phaleropes : they 

 are well known to be most expert divers and swimmers, 

 but such bad walkers, that they appear to stagger in 

 their gait, and use their wings as flappers. In no part 

 of the world have we seen this bird in such abundance 

 as on the lakes of Leontini, in the island of Sicily : 

 flocks of 400 or 500 are very often seen sailing on the 

 larger lake during the day, but so shy that it requires 

 great skill for the sportsman to approach them : upon 

 being fired at, the greatest number immediately dive. 

 For this operation their foot is admirably fitted. Next 

 to the jacanas, it has the largest claws among the rail 

 family ; the middle toe often measuring four inches, 

 while the size and strength of the whole foot is 

 unexampled in the Grallatorial order: the hind toe, 

 however, is more like that of a duck, and hence we find 

 that, although the coot dives and swims admirably, it 

 walks with difficulty and unsteadiness. The external 

 toe has two, and the middle three, lobes on each side, 

 each pair distinctly divided ; these correspond with the 

 number of the joints : the lobes on the inner toe are all 

 united, and the number of four can only be traced by 

 the articulations, and by the margin of the membrane 

 being very slightly scolloped adjoining thereto : the claws 

 are moderately long, strong, very acute, and nearly 

 straight. 



* Northern Zoology, vol. ii. p. 407. 



