Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/316

 312 COOSA COPAL COOSA, a river of Georgia and Alabama, 350 m. long. It is formed by the union of the Etowah and Oostenaula at Rome, Ga., flows S. W., and after passing the Ten islands in Ala- bama turns S. and S. E., and joins the Talla- poosa to form the Alabama in Elmore co., be- tween Wetumpka and Montgomery. From Rome to the Ten islands in Alabama, and be- low Wetumpka, it is navigable by steamboats. Between the Ten islands and Wetumpka the shoals which obstruct the channel at short in- tervals prevent the passage of any vessels ex- cept flat-boats. COOT, a lobe-footed bird of the order gralla- tores, family scolopacidcB, and genus fulica. In this genus the bill is shorter than the head, strong, straight, and elevated, forming a broad shield on the forehead ; the wings are short ; American Coot (Fulica Ameri the tail is very short and rounded ; the tarsi are shorter than the middle toe ; the toes are long, united at the base, lobed on each side, the inner toe with two, the middle with three, and the outer with four rounded membranous lobes ; the hind toe is lobed its whole length. There are about a dozen species of the genus, scattered over the world, migrating from north to south in winter. The American or cinereous coot (F. Americana, Gmel.) is about 14 inch- es long, with an extent of wing of 25 inches ; bill long, the back 1 inch; weight about 1 Ib. The head is small, neck slender, body rather full ; feet strong, tibia bare a little above the joint; the plumage is soft and blended. The bill is grayish white, with a dusky spot near the end ; the general color of the upper parts is deep bluish gray, blackish on the head and neck, and olivaceous on the shoul- ders ; the quills are grayish brown, with darker tips ; edge of the wings, outer margin of first quill, tips of outer secondaries, and lower tail coverts, white; tail brownish black; under parts light bluish gray. They are found throughout North America, and in New Eng- land in the autumn, Retiring south about No- vember. Their favorite resorts are the borders of ponds and rivers lined with thick reeds, to which they can fly on the approach of danger ; they swim, dive, fly, and run well ; they rise, however, with difficulty, fluttering the wings and striking with the feet to assist ; they fly high, with quick motion of the wjngs. They feed, especially in the morning and evening, near the edge of the water and in the open lands bordering on the streams and lakes. The food consists of aquatic insects and plants, mollusks, small fish, worms, seeds, and even tender grass and leaves. In the south they are seen in flocks of several hundred. They prob- ably breed in the northern states; the nest, built of decayed vegetable matter and sticks, is placed near the water among the reeds ; it is sometimes carried away by inundations, when it floats without injury to the eggs or displacing the female ; the eggs are from seven to ten in number, ash-gray in color, spotted minutely with black, and the young take to the water as soon as hatched. A common name for this species is the mud hen. They are abundant in the New Orleans market in winter, and are much used as food by the poorer classes, who skin instead of plucking them. In New England the name is improp- erly given to several species of duck, especially to those of the genus oidemia ; among the species thus named are the scoter duck (0. Americana, Swains.), white-winged or velvet duck (O.fusca, Swains.), and black or surf duck (0. perspiciUata, Flem.). COPAIBA. See BALSAMS. COPAIS, or Topolias, a celebrated lake in Boeotia, the largest in Greece, 4T m. in circum- ference. It is formed by the Cephissus and the numerous small streams which descend from the surrounding hills. Its waters empty into the Euripus through subterraneous passages in the surrounding limestone. (See BOEOTIA.) COPAL, the resinous juice of the rhus copal- Una of Mexico and the elceocarpus copalifer Copal (Khus copallina). of India. It is obtained by the natives by cut- ting a notch in the tree, in which it collects.