BIRDS—SCOLOPACIDAE—FULICA AMERICANA. 
751 
CREX PRATENISIS, Bechstein. 
Corn-Crake. 
Rallus crex, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 261.— Degland, Orn. Europ. II, 1849, 266 
Gallinula crex , Latham, Ind. Orn. II, 1790, 766. 
Crex pratensis, Bechst. Gemein. Naturg. Deutsch. IV, 470.— Cassin, Pr. A. N. Sc. VII, Jan. 1855, 265. (New 
Jersey.) 
Sp. Ch. —Feathers above blackish brown, with brownish yellow edges, and without white spots. Quills and upper wing coverts 
brownish red ; under wing coverts rust red. Bill shorter than the head, conical, elevated at the base. Wings reaching nearly 
to the end of the tail. Outer primary edged externally with yellowish white ; flanks and beneath the tail banded with rufous 
and whitish. 
Length about ten inches. 
Hab.—Europe ; Greenland. Accidental on the Atlantic coast of the United States. 
The well known corn-crake of Europe has, on several occasions, been found on the eastern 
coast of the United States, and is, therefore, entitled to mention here. It appears to he a con¬ 
stant summer visitor to Greenland, from which country it is probable that stragglers reach the 
United States. 
FULICA, Linnaeus. 
Fulica, Linn. Syst. Nat. 1735. Type Fulica atra, L. 
Ch. —Bill shorter than the head, straight, strong, compressed, and advancing into the feathers of the forehead, where it fre¬ 
quently forms a wide and somewhat projecting frontal plate ; nostrils in a groove, witli a large membrane near the middle of the 
bill. Wings rather short, second and third quills usually longest; tail very short; tarsus robust, shorter than the middle toe, 
with very distinct transverse scales; toes long, each toe having semicircular lobes, larger on the inner side of the toe ; hind toe 
rather long, lobed. 
A very peculiar group, containing about ten or twelve species, all of which are of dark slate 
color, and which considerably resemble each other. 
FULICA AMERICANA, Gmelin. 
Coot; Poule d’eau ; Mud Hen* 
Fulica americana, Gm, Syst. Nat. 1,1788,704 .—Bon. Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 234.— Aud. Orn. Biog. 111,1835,291 : V, 
568; pi. 239.— Ib. Syn. 212.— Ib. Birds Amer. VI, 1842, 138; pi. 305.— Hartlaub, Cab. 
Jour. I, Extraheft fur 1853, 1854, 75 ; 87. 
Fulica wilsonii, Stephens, Shaw’s Zool. XII, 1824, 236.— Brehm, Vo g. Deutsehl. 1831, 711. 
Fulica atra, Wils. Am. Orn. IX, 1825, 61 ; pi. lxxiii. 
? Fulica leucopyga, Wagler, Isis, 1831, 518. Mexico. 
gp, Cu,—Head and neck glossy black, with a tinge of ashy ; under tail coverts white. Entire other plumage dark bluish 
cinereous or slate color, with a tinge of olive on the back and darker on the rump. Edge of wing at shoulder and edge of first 
primary white ; secondary quills tipped with white ; rump frequently tinged with brownish. Bill very pale yellow or nearly 
white, with a transverse band of brownish black near the end; tip white ; legs dull grayish green. Female similar, but with the 
tints lighter. Young like the adult, but with the under parts lighter ; abdomen frequently ashy white ; back and rump dark 
olive brown ; head and neck lighter. 
Total length about 14 inches ; wing, 7 ; tail, 2 inches. 
Hab. —Entire temperate regions of North America. 
This species is readily distinguishable from the European F. atra by the white on the crissum 
and wings, the red frontal plate, &c. 
