COOT. 
211 
I have never yet discovered that this species breeds with us; 
though it is highly probable that some few may occupy the marsh- 
es of the interior, in the vicinity of the ponds and lakes, for this 
purpose: those retired situations being well adapted to the hatch- 
ing and rearing of their young. In the southern states, parti- 
cularly South Carolina, they are well known; but the Floridas 
appear to be their principal rendezvous, for the business of in- 
cubation. ‘‘The Coot,” says William Bartram, “is a native 
of North America, from Pennsylvania to Florida. They inha- 
bit large rivers, fresh water inlets or bays, lagoons, &c. where 
they swim and feed amongst the reeds and grass of the shores; 
particularly in the river St. Juan, in East Florida, where they 
are found in immense flocks. They are loquacious and noisy, 
talking to one another night and day; are constantly on the wa- 
ter, the broad lobated membranes on their toes enabling them 
to swim and dive like ducks.”*' 
I observed this species to be numerous, during the winter, 
in the fresh water ponds, situated in the vicinity of the river 
St. Juan or St. John, in East Florida; but I did not see them in 
the river. The food which they obtain in these places must be 
very abundant and nutricious; as the individuals which I shot 
were excessively fat. One male specimen weighed twenty -four 
ounces, avoirdupois. They associate with the Common Galli- 
nule; {Gallinula chloropus) but there is not, perhaps, one of 
the latter for twenty of the former. 
The Cinereous Coot is sixteen inches in length, and twenty- 
eight in extent; bill one and a half inch long, white, the upper 
mandible slightly notched near the tip, and marked across with 
a band of chestnut, the lower mandible marked on each side with 
a squarish spot of the like colour, edged on the lower part with 
bright yellow or gamboge, thence to the tip pale horn colour; 
membrane of the forehead, dark chestnut brown; irides corne- 
lian red; beneath the eyes, in most specimens, a whitish spot; 
the head and neck are of a deep shining black, resembling sa- 
* Letter from Mr. Bartram to the author. 
