FULICA.
Toes lobed; middle toe and claw longer than tarsus; frontal shield present; nest bulky, floating among reeds; eggs yellowish grey, spotted and marked brown.
Fulica atra atra L. COOT. Fr. Foulque ; Ger. Blasshuhn ; Pa/. Folaga ; Seed. SothOna.
4 9 General colour slaty black, lighter beneath ; tips of secondaries whitish. Iris red. Bill and frontal shield white. Bare part of tibia orange. Legs and feet bluish grey, on sides of tarsus greenish yellow. \Ving 198-215. Tarsus 56-60. Bill from feathers at side of shield Breeds.— Iceland (occasional), British Isles, Continental Europe from 70° in Norway, in Sweden, Finland and N. Russia, and about 57° in Urals, south to Mediterranean and its Islands ; N.W. Africa ; also widely in Asia. Largely resident, but
northern birds migrate. Rare visitor Madeira and Canaries.
Fulica cristata Gmclin. CRESTED COOT.
Like "F. atra" but has no white tips to secondaries, and on each side of frontal shield is a red fleshy lobe. Legs and feet slaty blue, lower part of tibia yellow-green. Bill and frontal shield bluish white. Iris red. \Ving 216-238, 9 205-213 (I1.).
Resident.—S. Portugal, S. Spain, N.W. Africa (Morocco and Algeria), and Africa south of Sahara. Has occurred in Italy, Sicily, Malta, and S. France.