. Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. . Land Rail {Crexpratensis, Fig. 113), and the Water Rail {Rallus aquatic us). The Coot {Fulia) has a bill of moderate size, stout, tapering,much depressed, with a well-developed frontal plate; the toes areslender, and edged with a broad, scalloped membrane. Their plumageis glossy, soft, full, and blended, and impervious to water. They areessentially aquatic, frequenting principally lakes and marshes, some- 300 REPTILES AND BIRDS. times the shores of estuaries, b
. Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. . Land Rail {Crexpratensis, Fig. 113), and the Water Rail {Rallus aquatic us). The Coot {Fulia) has a bill of moderate size, stout, tapering,much depressed, with a well-developed frontal plate; the toes areslender, and edged with a broad, scalloped membrane. Their plumageis glossy, soft, full, and blended, and impervious to water. They areessentially aquatic, frequenting principally lakes and marshes, some- 300 REPTILES AND BIRDS. times the shores of estuaries, bays, and gulfs.* Like the Water Henand the Rail, their life is almost nocturnal. During the daytime theysecrete themselves among reeds and flags ; from which they do notemerge until evening, when the demands of Nature forces them toseek their food. This consists of worms, small fishes, and the youngshoots of aquatic plants. Coots but rarely traverse firm ground,where they walk with difficulty; on the other hand, they swim anddive with graceful ease. Their flight is less feeble than that of theRails; still it is far from Fig. 114 —Tne Bald Coot. Coots herd together in flocks; they make their nests on reedsdoubled down on the water, and lay from eight to fourteen young ones are able to swim as soon as they are hatched, butthey often fall a prey to the marsh harrier. It sometimes happensthat the whole brood is destroyed in this way: when such is thecase, if early in the season, the female lays a second time. The Coot is found in every country in Europe, in North America,in Asia, and in Africa. Its flesh, which is white and delicate in * The southern extremity of the Chesapeake Bay (Va.), in the winter of 1871,was covered with thousands of Coots. — Ed. THE PRATINCOLE. 301 appearance, is usually very fat, but has a disagreeable taste andmarsh-like odour. Three species are known, only one of which isfound in this country, namely, the Coot [FuHca atra, Fig. 114),
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