the gallinule and coot, in ornithology; a genus of birds of the order of grallae. It has a convex bill, with the upper mandible fornicated over the lower at the edge; the lower mandible is gibbous behind the tip. The forehead is bald; and the feet have four toes, subpinnated. There are 25 species; 18 of which belong to the gallinule division, distinguished by having the toes furnished with broad scalloped membranes; and 7 comprehend the coots which have the toes divided to their origin. The following species are among the most noted.

1. The chloropus, or common gallinule, is in length about 14 inches, and has a bald forehead and broad flat toes. It gets its food on gravelly 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 ruff-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. It is pretty common on the continent, though in some parts more scarce than in others. It is also an inhabitant of America, from New York to Carolina; and is recorded as a native of Jamaica and other islands in the West Indies. It is said to feed on plants and small fish; and the flesh is for the most part pretty good.

2. The porphyrio, or purple gallinule, is about the size of a fowl, or 17 inches in length. The bill is an inch and a half long, and of a deep red colour. The forehead is bare and red; the head and hind part of the neck are gloomy violet; the legs are very stout, and of the colour of the bill. This bird is more or less common in all the warmer parts of the globe. On the coasts of Barbary they abound, as well as in some of the islands of the Mediterranean. In Sicily they are bred in plenty, and kept for their beauty; but whether indigenous there, is uncertain. It is frequently met with in various parts of the south of Russia and western parts of Siberia, among reedy places; in the neighbourhood of the Caspian Sea it is not uncommon; but in the cultivated rice-grounds of Ghilar in Persia it is in great plenty and high plumage. The female makes the nest among the reeds in the middle of March; lays three or four eggs, and sits from three to four weeks. That it is common in China, the paper-hangings from thence will everywhere testify. It is also met with in the East Indies, the islands of Java, Madagascar, and many others. Our late navigators saw them at Tongataboo in vast numbers, as well as in the island of Tanna and other parts. It is also common in the southern parts of America. In respect to its manners, it is a very docile bird, being easily tamed, and feeding with the poultry, scratching the ground with the foot as the cock and hen. It will feed on many things, such as fruit, roots of plants, and grain; but will eat fish with avidity, dipping them into the water before it swallows them. It will frequently stand on one leg, and lift the food to its mouth with the other like a parrot. A pair of these kept in an aviary in France, made a nest of small sticks mixed with a quantity of straw, and laid six white eggs, perfectly round; but the hen was careless of them, and they came to nothing. The flesh is said to be exquisite in taste.

3. The atric, or common coot, hath a bald forehead, a black body, and lobated toes; and is about 15 inches in length. 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. This species is not so numerous as might be expected; for we find that vast numbers fall a prey while young to the buzzards, which frequent the marshes. Their food is small fish and water-insects; but they will sometimes eat the roots of the bulrush, and with it feed the young; they are said likewise to eat grain. This species is supposed to extend throughout the old continent, and perhaps the new also. Authors record it as inhabiting Greenland, Sweden, Norway, Russia, Siberia, Persia, and China, and many of the intermediate parts. It is also met with in Jamaica, Carolina, and other parts of North-America. The Indians about Niagara dress the skins of these birds, and use them for pouches. They are called in Carolina flycatchers.

4. The aterrima, or greater coot, is of a larger size than the last, and its plumage is blacker. This species is said to be found in Lancashire and Scotland; but is more plentiful on the continent, being found in Russia and the western part of Siberia very common; and is also in plenty at Sologne and the neighbouring parts, where they call it jaudelle. The people eat this bird on maize days, and its flesh is much esteemed.