246 
BIRDS OF NEW MEXICO 
might be passing the other side of the tule screen—for who wanted 
Coots? 
Here, too, Doctor Wetmore found small flocks of unmated birds 
feeding in the open bays or nesting in little bands on the open beaches 
until June 5, although they were already displaying and fighting savagely 
with one another. When these flocks broke up, each male selected a 
section of shore line in the tules, and remaining near it, guarded it 
jealously, taking frequent occasion to drive away ducks and Eared 
Grebes which might chance to trespass, and having many fights with 
neighboring males. In these encounters, Doctor Wetmore tells us, “they 
drove at 'each other with heads extended over the water and the wing 
tips elevated. When near they began striking viciously with their bills 
and then, lying back, struck heavily first with one large foot and then 
the other—a most effective means of fighting as their claws were long 
and sharp and their leg muscles powerful. Each tried to guard against 
these blows by seizing the feet of his antagonist, so that often the two 
held each other by means of their feet, while they thrust savagely with 
their bills. The females frequently took part in these squabbles also, 
so that sometimes three or four birds were engaged at one time, while 
neighboring males came rushing up, also seeming minded to interfere. 
When they separated the males sometimes rested for several minutes 
with heads down on the water and wing tips raised, eyeing each other 
like two game cocks.” In the courtship display, “the male came 
paddling out with head and neck prostrate on the water, wing tips 
raised high above the tail, and the tail spread and elevated so that the 
white markings on either side were very prominent. As he came near, 
the female usually assumed the same attitude. When two or three feet 
away the male turned and presented the prominently marked tail to the 
female, swimming off slowly and then returning to repeat the per¬ 
formance. This action was seen constantly whenever Coots were under 
observation (1920a, 394-395). Still more striking testimony to the fact 
that, as Doctor Townsend states it, in display “the more brilliant or 
striking portions of the plumage are exposed to the utmost extent to the 
view of the courted one,” has been obtained by him in the field. Appar¬ 
ently conscious that “both the white display of the under tail coverts and 
of the wings are best seen from behind,” he says, “the pursuing male 
takes a short flight over the female, drops to the water beyond her and 
at once displays” (1925a, p. 6). 
In building, a female watched by Doctor Wetmore arranged dead 
stems of the round-stalked Scirpus occidentalis to form a platform, bend¬ 
ing them over and striking them repeatedly with her bill to make them 
stay m position, causing a peculiar knocking, hammering noise that at 
this season was to be heard in the rushes on all sides” (1920a, 394-395). 
