Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1894 edition. Excerpt:... with water: in that case they are generally found sitting on the fallen reeds, waiting for the ebbing of the tide. Their food consists of various aquatic plants,. seeds, insects and small fish. The Coot swims remarkably well, and, when w.ounded, will dive like a Duck. It is known in Pennsylvania by the name of the Mud-hen. American Aroset. This species arrives on the coast of Cape May late in April; rears its young, and departs to the south early in 00tober. lt almost constantly frequents the shallow pools in the salt marshes: wading about, often to the belly, in search of marine worms, snails, and various insects that abound among the soft muddy bottoms of the pools. lt is a shy and noisy bird; and from its per-petual clamour it is called by the inhabitants of Cape May, the Law yer. The nest of this species is generally fixed in a tuft of grass, at a short distance from one of the above mentioned pools; the eggs are four in number, of a dull olive colour, marked with large irregu. lar blotches of black. The I'ong-legged Aroset arrives on the coast of New Jersey about the same time as the foregoing; and frequents the like situations, in the salt marshes. But they are considerably more numerous than the American Avoset. They breed in small communities: the nests of six or eight pair being generally found in the vicinity of one of the pools. The eggs are also four in number, of a dark yellowish clay colour, thickly marked with large blotches of black. These nests are often placed within fifteen or twenty yards of each other; but the greatest harmony seems to prevail among the proprietors. rVhile the females are sitting, the males are either wading through the ponds, or roaming over the adjoining marshes; but should a person make his...