FULICA, thegallinuk and the coot, in natural history, a genus of birds of the order Grallx. Generic character : bill strong, thick, and sloping to the paint; upper mandible arched over the lower at the edge, and reaching far up the fore head : nostrils nearly oval ; front bald ; toes four, long, and furnished with broad scalloped membranes. There are twen ty-five species.
F. atra-coot, is distinguished from the gallinule by pinnated feet. It inhabits Europe, Asia, and America, and is about the size of a small fowl. It feeds ou small fish and water insects, is common in some parts of this country at all sea sons, but in the breeding season is seen almost always in pairs, about the borders of ponds and lakes well fringed with rushes, of which it mats itself a large nest, said to be often observed floating on the water. These birds are devoured when young by the buzzards, which in fest their haunts, and prevent them from that great multiplication which might be otherwise expected. Rallus crex, or the crake gallioule, is found in various parts of Europe, and is particularly abundant in Ireland, where it is supposed by Latham to winter. Wherever quails are, the crake is to be met with. It runs fast, but flies with great awkwardness, with its legs hanging down. Its food is grain and insects. On its arrival in England, where it is migratory, it is poor and emaciated, but fattens afterwards with great rapidi ty, and is esteemed excellent for the table. Its full weight is about eight ounces.
F. porphyrio, or the purple water-hen, occurs in almost all the warmer latitudes of the globe. It is of the size of a fowl ; in Sicily it is kept merely for its beauty, and in Persia exhibits its greatest ele gance of It is tamed with great ease, and will feed very quitely in the farm-yard on grain or roots, but is particularly fond of fishes, which it plun ges in the water before it takes them to its mouth. Standing on one leg, it
employs the other as a hand in many cases, particularly in lifting its food to its mouth, in the same manner as a parrot.
F: chloropus, or the common water hen, is found in various parts of England, haunting the borders of ponds and rivers, which abound in weeds, and breeding twice in a season. It flies awkwardly, but runs and swims well. Its flesh is thought excellent, and its general weight is about fifteen ounces. Rallus Carolinus, or the American water-hen, is nearly as large as a quail. In the beginning of autumn these birds are found in the middle states in extreme abundance. From a state of perfect leanness, they speedily become so fat as to be incapable of flying to anygreat distance, and are knocked off the reeds of the marshes by the paddles of the In dians, who make pleasurable excursions in their canoes for•this purpose, and in the course of one night a party will take ten or twelve hundred of them. They are extremely admired for food, and supply part of the daily repast of every planter during their short season. Rallus porza na, or the spotted gallinule, is found in Europe, and supposed to be migratory. It is fond of solitude, and, unless in breeding time, almost always alone. Its haunts are similar to those of the common water-hen. Its nest is built in the form of a boat, and tied or fixed to reeds to prevent its being carried off by the water. Its young run as soon as they are hatched. For the great coot, see Ayes, Plate VII. fig. 4.