594 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 
221. American Ooqt. 
Fulica americana Gmel. 
Tli© Mud-hen or Water-hen, as it is more commonly called in 
this region, was found in large numbers. There is hardly a 
slough of any size but is inhabited by one pair, or more, of 
these birds. At Water-hen Lake, they congregate by the thou¬ 
sands to build their nests and rear their young. The nests are 
frequently placed in very open situations. While passing along 
a trail, they are often observed floating on the surface of sloughs, 
moored among short, scattered grass-blades, and could be seen 
for a, distance of several rods. At Water-hen Lake they were 
commonly built in the tall rushes growing about the border of 
the lake. The nests are composed of reeds and rushes, with a 
lining of the same material. The picture of a nest, taken at 
Water-hen Lake, is shown in Plate XLIII. 
The first nest observed was found on May 23 and contained 
ten eggs, incubation just commenced. It measured seventeen 
inches, outside diameter, eight inches, inside diameter; six and 
one-half inches outside depth, three inches inside depth. It was 
moored among cattail rushes iu a large slough close to a, lake. 
The nesting period seems to extend over •considerable time, as 
fresh eggs were taken as late as July 6, and, on August 4, a nest 
was found containing four eggs chipped and about to hatch. 
From six to eleven eggs were found in a nest. Twenty eggs 
from this region average 1.93x1.33. 
Frequently, when the nest of the Cdot is approached, the 
parent bird may be seen to slip off into the water and sneak 
away through the rushes, uttering her single but oft repeated 
note, apparently to distract the attention^ of the intruder from 
the nest. When the Coot with a brood of young is suddenly 
come upon, she flutters along the water as though very severely 
wounded, in an attempt to allure you into pursuing her, that 
her chicks may escape. The eight or ten little chicks scatter 
and disappear among the rushes in a surprising manner. 
224. Wilson's Phalarope. 
Phalaropns tricolor (Vieill.). 
This bird was seen in considerable numbers, generally in 1 low 
meadows or in the; neighborhood of sloughs or swampy places. 
