1879 
Pulica americana. 
Middlesex County, Mass. 
(Oct.10) 
to fly, which it did only when the boat was within loss 
than throe foot. As it rose it ran for some distance 
on the surface and after a short flight dropped, first 
lowering its feet and running several yards on the viator 
before finally settling. It was an unusually small 
individual and swam very low in the water; at each 
stroke of the feet the head was oscillated in the usual 
manner. It v/as busily engaged in picking small parti¬ 
cles of food from the lily-ledaros, and occasionally 
plunged down its bill in order to take them from scane 
submerged \mter plant. 
1881. 
Sept.27. 
In the Pine Swamp found a Coot swimming in-a dirty 
pool within twenty yards of the slaughter house. It was 
very tame and could not bo made to fly although wo threw 
a number of stones at it. Once it scrambled awkwardly 
up a mud bank and climbed to the top of a low stump where 
it sat basking in the sun. 
