except in the peculiar construction of its feet. Its body is powerfully
framed and slightly compressed at the sides; the neck is of moderate
length, and the head rather large; the beak is conical, compressed at
the sides, and has its sharp cutting margins slightly denticulated. The
callosity upon the forehead is large; the foot moderately high, strong,
compressed at the sides, and furnished with long toes, each of which is
fringed laterally with a broad expansion of the skin divided into lobes.
The wings are of moderate length, with their second and third quills
longer than the rest; the tail consists of fourteen or sixteen quills, and
is very short, being almost entirely hidden by its covers. The plumage,
which is of extraordinary thickness, is almost entirely of a uniform
slaty-black; the head and neck, however, are darker, and the breast and
belly lighter than the rest of the body. The eyes are light red, the beak
and callosity on the brow pure white, and the feet lead-grey, merging
towards the heel into a reddish green. In young birds the plumage on the
under side of the body is light grey mixed with black, and the mantle
tinged with an olive shade. This species is eighteen inches long, and
thirty broad; the wing measures nine, and the tail three inches.
The Common Coot is a native of Europe, and is met with in all parts
of that continent; it has also been seen during the winter in Central
Asia, and the interior of Africa. In Germany it is found on every piece
of water adapted for its residence, and is abundant in England on all
fresh-water lakes. In the choice of a locality it seems to avoid streams
and rivers, as also salt water, but readily takes up its abode near still
deep water, the margins of which are fringed with sedges and tall reeds.
For their winter quarters, these birds resort to the extensive marshes
of Southern Europe, and to the northern and central parts of Africa,
returning to their usual haunts as soon as the snow begins to melt, and
there remaining till the autumn; unlike allied species, they assemble in
large flocks previous to commencing their migrations. The food of the
Common Coot consists of shelled molluscs, worms, larvæ, and a variety of
vegetable substances; in southern climates we are told they sometimes
visit the corn-fields in order to devour the grain. We are not inclined
to question this statement, as we have not only seen them eat corn with
avidity when in a state of captivity, but appear to prefer that diet even
when fishes were offered them. The nests of this species are large, and,
though clumsily formed, are strong and compact. So remarkable, indeed, is
the strength of these apparently careless structures, that Mr. Hewitson
tells us, upon one occasion when standing up to his knees in water, a nest
made of flags and broken reeds afforded him a firm seat. The eggs are of a
pale yellowish brown, delicately spotted with dark ashy green, and marked
with brown. The Coot when properly prepared before roasting is tolerable
eating, otherwise, it becomes imbued with a fishy flavour owing to an oil
which exudes from the skin when cooking. During the winter great numbers
are killed upon the coast while roosting on the sandbanks.
* * * * *
The FINFOOTS (_Podoæ_), a group of birds inhabiting South America and
Senegal, present many difficulties in their classification, although,
judging from their structure generally, and more especially from the
formation of their skeleton, they show the closest relationship with
the Coots. Their toes are not exactly webbed, but furnished with broad
lateral membranes admirably adapted for swimming; their bodies are small
and slender, but strongly built; their long neck curves gracefully; their
wings are weak and their tail strong and broad. The beak, which is about
the same length as the head, is thin and feeble, slightly arched along the
line of the culmen, but without any callous prolongation on the brow. The
legs are very stout and feathered to the tarsus; the front toes exceed
the tarsus in length, and are furnished, as we have said, with lateral
folds which perform the office of a web; the hind toe is small and without
any appendage; in the wing the second and third quills are longer than
the rest; the tail is composed of eighteen feathers, which are slightly
rounded at their extremities.
THE SURINAM FINFOOT, OR PICAPARE.
The SURINAM FINFOOT, or PICAPARE (_Heliornis Surinamensis_), has the head
and upper neck black; the back, wings, and tail are brown; a stripe over
the eye, the throat and front of neck are white; the breast and belly
yellowish white. The eye is brown, beak pale greyish yellow with brown
base and black point; in old birds the bill has a red shade. The feet are
yellowish red, the inner and hinder parts of the tarsus black, and the
toes marked with a black band over every joint. The length of this bird
is twelve inches, breadth sixteen inches, length of wing five and a half
inches, and tail three and one-sixth inches. According to observations
made by the Prince von Wied, the Picapare is to be met with in Brazil and
Paraguay, its habitat extending to 25° south latitude, so that it may be
said to occur throughout a considerable part of South America. It is by no
means scarce upon the rivers of East Brazil, but is often overlooked, as
it hides itself amongst the luxuriant vegetation that covers the shore;
wherever darkness and silence favour its presence, it is always to be
found. Very frequently it may be seen sitting on a thin branch, partially
immersed in the water, and occupied in bowing its head in a most peculiar
manner. Its food consists of aquatic insects and seeds, in search of which
it occasionally plunges its head under water. Its voice, which is emitted
from the throat, somewhat resembles the barking of a little dog. We learn
from the same authority that the young of these birds are only two in
number, and are reared during the hot season. At first they are nearly
naked, and hide themselves under the wings of their parents, holding
themselves on by means of their beaks; when they have grown a little
stronger, they may be seen sitting upon their mother's back, and even
accompanying her in her dives under water. If alarmed when with its young,
the Picapare at once takes wing, and betakes itself to the shelter of the
thick bushes that cover the shore; if still further pressed it hides among
rushes and reeds until the danger is passed. It seems only to dive when
seriously alarmed, as for example, when shot at; on such occasions it will
remain under water for a considerable space of time; its powers of diving,
however, are far inferior to those of many water birds.
[Illustration: THE STILT BIRD (_Charadrius himantopus_).]
THE SWIMMERS (_Natatores_).
BUT little difference of opinion exists among naturalists as to the limits
of our last order; indeed, a swimming bird is at once recognisable by
characters so sharply defined that there is scarcely room for doubt or
hesitation. The grand character whereby they are all distinguishable is
to be found in the structure of their feet, the toes of which are more
or less completely united to each other by a broad web by which they are
converted into paddles, admirably adapted to propel them through their
appropriate element. Hence they swim with facility, and frequent rivers,
lakes, and seas. Generally speaking, the _Natatores_ move awkwardly
on land, as, in order to render the strokes of their paddle-like feet
more effective, their legs are placed more or less behind the centre of
gravity, so that when on the ground they have, in a great measure, to
retain their balance by muscular exertion, as may be seen in the Goose or
Swan as they waddle clumsily over the grass. In some cases these birds
are compelled to assume an upright attitude, as do the Auks and Penguins.
In the structure of the feet important differences are observable,
generally only the three front toes are connected together by the web, but
occasionally the hind toe is likewise included in the expansion of the
skin, or is provided with lateral appendages that materially enlarge its
surface. The form of the body in the swimming birds is boat-like; in those
that dive, the ribs are strong and carried back, so as to almost entirely
surround the enclosed viscera, and thus defend them from undue pressure.
Their plumage is dense, close, and waterproof, consisting of a thick under
garment of down overlaid with broad flat feathers, which throw off the
water as if their surface were oiled. In many groups the neck is very
long and the tail very short, while in others the tail composed of rigid
quills is employed as a rudder when the birds are diving. Some are utterly
incapable of flight, and use their wings in the water as though they
were fins. The members of this order live almost exclusively upon animal
food, only a few preferring a vegetable diet. All, without exception,
are sociable in their habits; most of them exceedingly prolific, some
species, however, lay but one egg. Frequently they crowd their favourite
breeding-places in great numbers, and are devotedly attached to their
offspring; some will even incubate eggs, and rear young that are not their
own.
THE SIEVE BEAKS.
The SIEVE BEAKS (_Lamellirostres_), according to our usual plan, are
placed at the head of the Natatorial order, as in these TOOTH-BILLED
and SOFT-BILLED SWIMMERS, as they have been called by various writers,
the peculiar attributes of Swimming Birds are most equally developed,
and their locomotive capabilities most varied. Whoever examines a
Duck with attention, will appreciate the leading features whereby the
_Lamellirostres_ are distinguished. Their bill is generally depressed,
broad, and always laminated at the sides; the lamination being more
prominent in some species than in others, but always so arranged as to
form a sieve-like apparatus, by means of which these birds obtain their
food, in a manner peculiar to themselves. This remarkably constructed
beak, which is seldom longer than the head, is usually straight, broad,
and flatly arched above, terminating in front in a broad nail-like
appendage, while at the sides it presents a series of horny laminæ, which
interlock with similar developments from the under jaw. With the exception
of the margins, which are tolerably hard, the entire beak is covered with
a soft skin, and is largely supplied with branches of the fifth pair of
nerves, so as evidently to be endowed with great sensibility, as is
likewise the tongue, which is large and fleshy except at its sides, which
are fringed and toothed with horny ridges. When we observe the use that
the Duck makes of this organ, we perceive that, unlike other birds, it
discriminates its food, not by sight or smell, but by the sense of touch
resident in its tongue. It plunges its beak into the mud, and brings up
whatever it may happen to meet with, and from this mouthful of stuff it
selects, by the aid of that member alone, whatever is good for food; while
what is useless escapes through the straining apparatus at the sides
of the bill. In comparison with this remarkable structure of the beak,
the other characters whereby these birds are distinguishable become of
secondary importance, nevertheless they also are somewhat striking. The
slightly elongated body is strongly built, the neck either of moderate
length, or very long and slender, the high and narrow head of medium size.
The tarsus is small or moderate (or, exceptionally, very high), four-toed,
and webbed in front. The moderate-sized wings are somewhat pointed; they
consist occasionally of but twelve feathers, and are either truncate or
rounded, sometimes wedge-shaped or pointed at the extremity. The plumage
is always close, smooth, and well packed with down. The distribution
of the various races of these birds is more limited than that of many
Natatorial families, and some of them at certain seasons migrate regularly
from colder to warmer climates, and _vice versâ_.
* * * * *
[Illustration: THE FLAMINGO (_Phœnicopterus roseus_).]