the coot, in ornithology, a genus of birds, of the order of grallae. It has a convex bill, with the upper mandible furnished over the lower at the edge; the lower mandible is gibbous behind the tip. The forehead is bald; and the feet have four toes, a little lobated. There are four species.

1. The atrata, or common coot, hath a bald forehead, a black body, and lobated toes. They frequent lakes and still rivers; making their nest among the rushes, with grass, reeds, &c., floating on the water, so as to rise and fall with it. They lay five or six large eggs, of a dirty whitish hue, sprinkled over with minute deep rust-coloured spots; and it is said, that sometimes they will lay 14 or more eggs. The young when just hatched are very deformed, and the head mixed with a red coarse down. In winter they often repair to the sea, and the channel near Southampton is sometimes observed almost covered with them. They are often brought to that market, where they are exposed to sale without their feathers, and scalded like pigs.

2. The chloropus, or common gallinule, hath a bald forehead, and toes without webs. It gets its food on grassy banks, and borders near fresh waters, and in the very waters if they be weedy. It builds upon low trees and shrubs by the water-side; breeding twice or thrice in a summer; and, when the young are grown up, drives them away to shift for themselves. They lay seven eggs of a dirty white, thinly spotted with rust-colour. This bird strikes with its bill like a hen, and in the spring has a shrill call. In flying, it hangs down its legs; in running, it often flirts up its tail, and shows the white feathers. We may observe, that the bottoms of its toes are so very flat and broad (to enable it to swim), that it seems to be the bird which connects the cloven-footed aquatics with the next tribe, viz. the fin-toed.

3. The fulica, with a bald forehead, a violet-coloured body, and toes without webs, is the purple water-hen of Edwards; and it inhabits Asia and America.

4. The fulica with a carunculated head, a variegated body, spinous shoulders, and toes without webs; but the nail on the hinder toe is exceeding long. It is the spur-winged water-hen of Edwards, and is an inhabitant of South America. The nail on the hind toe is straight, and longer than a man's finger. The pollex rests upon one joint, and the wings are green.