144 
THE AMERICAN COOT. 
the Gallinaceous birds. The digestive organs, however, differ from those 
of the Rasores in one essential respect, namely, in there being no crop, or 
dilatation of the oesophagus. They are also very nearly allied to those 
of the Ducks, differing only in having the coeca proportionally larger. 
The Anatince, in fact, are in some respects aquatic Gallinacece. 
The trachea is 6^ inches long, from 4s twelfths to 2 twelfths in breadth, 
flattened, with the rings feeble, until 1 inch from the lower extremity, when 
it becomes laterally compressed, with the rings much narrower. The num- 
ber of these is 154. Bronchi very short, of 20 half rings, which are not 
ossified as in the Grebes, but cartilaginous. The rings of the trachea are 
narrowed in the middle, in front and behind, so as to be perfectly flexible 
there, as well as on either side. The lateral muscles are moderate. There 
are no inferior laryngeal muscles, excepting on each side a very thin slip 
going to the last ring. 
I found this species very abundant in Texas, in May, 1837. It breeds in 
Maine and Massachusetts. 
Genus III— ORTYGOMETRA, Leach. CRAKE-GALLINULE. 
Bill shorter than the head, rather stout, deep, compressed, tapering ; upper 
mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, being slightly convex toward 
the end, the ridge flattish for a short space at the base, very slightly extended 
on the forehead, narrow in the rest of its extent, the sides nearly erect, the 
edges sharp, with a slight sinus close to the rather obtuse tip ; nasal groove 
broad and extending to two-thirds ; lower mandible with the angle long and 
narrow, the dorsal line ascending, nearly straight, the sides erect, the tip 
narrowed. Nostrils linear, lateral, submedial. Head rather small, oblong, 
compressed ; neck of moderate length ; body rather slender, much com- 
pressed. Eeet of moderate length, rather stout ; tibia bare below ; tarsus of 
ordinary length, compressed, with broad anterior scutella; hind toe short and 
slender, anterior toes very long, compressed scutella, the outer slightly 
longer than the inner. Claws of moderate length, slender, extremely com- 
pressed, tapering to a fine point. Plumage rather stiff, but blended ; 
feathers of the forehead with the shaft enlarged. Wings short and broad, 
somewhat convex, the second quill longest. Tail extremely short, much 
rounded, of twelve weak feathers. Digestive organs as in Gallinula. 
