142 
THE AMERICAN COOT. 
than broad at the base. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight and 
slightly sloping, towards the end slightly arched and deflected, the ridge 
flattish at the base, and continuous with an oblong soft tumid plate which 
ascends on the forehead, the rest of the ridge convex ; sides rapidly sloping, 
edges overlapping, sharp, with a slight notch close to the obtuse tip. Nasal 
groove wide, extending to two-thirds of the whole length of the mandible, 
filled with a soft bare membrane ; nostrils linear, medial, lateral, direct, 
pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long, narrow, rounded, the 
dorsal line nearly straight, the sides flattish, the edges sharp. 
Head small, oblong, much compressed. Neck of moderate length, slender. 
Body rather full, compressed. Feet of moderate length, strong ; tibia bare a 
short way above the joint ; tarsus rather short, compressed, broader below, 
anteriorly covered with broad scutella, laterally with angular scales, on the 
outer side behind a row of scutelliform scales ; hind toe short, slender ; 
middle toe longest, fourth longer than second ; toes scutellate above, hind 
one with an inferior lobe, second with two larger inner and two smaller 
outer rounded lobes ; third with three, fourth with four on each side ; claws 
of moderate length, slightly arched, much compressed, acute, the middle 
one with a thin inner edge. 
Plumage very soft and blended, on the head and neck short. Wings 
short, broad, rounded ; primaries curved, second longest, third little shorter, 
first rather longer than sixth, all broad and rounded ; secondaries broad, 
rounded with a minute tip, the inner elongated -and tapering. Tail very 
short, much rounded, of twelve weak rounded feathers ; the upper and 
lower coverts nearly as long as the tail-feathers. 
Bill greyish-white, with a dusky spot on each mandible towards the end ; 
frontal callosity white during life, brownish-red after death. Head and neck 
greyish-black, the upper parts deep bluish-grey, with an olivaceous tinge on 
the scapulars and inner secondaries. Quills greyish-brown, darker towards 
the tips ; the edge of the wings, outer margin of first quill, and tips of outer 
secondaries, Avhite. Tail brownish black ; lower tail-coverts white. The 
breast and abdomen are light bluish-grey, the latter paler, the sides darker ; 
the lower surface of the wings of the same dull leaden tint. 
Length to end of tail 13 j-f inches, to end of wings 14fV, to end of claws 
181 ; extent of wings 25 ; wing from flexure ; tail 2? ; bill along the 
back l T v, along the edge of lower mandible 1 ^ ; bare part of tibia I ; 
tarsus 2 ; middle toe 2 its claw Weight 1 lb. 
In an adult male preserved in spirits, the roof of the mouth is narrow, 
flattened, with two middle series of acute reversed papillae, and two lateral 
elevated lines extending to the tip ; the lower mandible deeply concave ; the 
edges of both sharp, and the tips narrow but obtuse. The width of the 
