171 



row, crimson. Length, inclusive of tail, 22 to 23 inches $ tail 

 6 inches. Sexes alike. The only spot of white on the bird is 

 at the chin. Very numerous in Dukhun, appearing in the 

 rivers in flocks of hundreds. Fish (some 3 inches long) and 

 prawns found in the stomach of many birds j also capillary 

 worms. Colonel Sykes remarks, that the generic character, 

 "Face and throat naked" is inapplicable to this species. 



Genus Plotus, Linn. Darter. 



228. Plotus melanogaster, Gmel. 1 . 580. Anhinga noir du Senegal, 



Buff, Ois. 8.453. PI. Enl. 960 & 107. Black -billed Darter, 



called the Snake-bird in Dukhun, 

 Irides bright yellow. Length, inclusive of tail, 37^ inches; tail 

 9| inches. Solitary. Rare in Dukhun, but frequently met 

 with below the Ghauts. This bird has the singular faculty of 

 being enabled to swim with the whole of its body under water, 

 the long neck and head alone being visible, looking like a snake. 

 Colonel Sykes's limits do not permit him to enlarge on the 

 very peculiar formation of the stomach, more resembling that 

 of a ruminant than a bird. Seven small carp and much deep- 

 green vegetable fibre were found in the stomach of a female. 



Fam. LaridcE, Leach. — Genus Sterna, Linn. Tern. 



229. Sterna acuticauda, Gray, Illust. Ind. Zool., part 6. fig. 3. Small 



yellow -billed Tern. Sterna melanogaster, Temm ., PI . Col. 434 ? 

 Irides reddish deep brown. Length, inclusive of tail, 13£ to 14| 

 inches ; tail 6 J to 7 inches, very forked and acute ; the lateral 

 feathers being subulate. Fish found in the stomach. Although 

 the wings are so long, the flight is slow and with a good deal 

 of flapping. Take their prey while on the wing by darting ob- 

 liquely upon it. Do not dip under water, nor dart perpen- 

 dicularly, like Alcedo rudis. This elegant and slender species 

 Colonel Sykes shot 160 miles inland, and at an elevation of 

 1800 feet above the sea. Gregarious. Common in Dukhun. 



230. Sterna similis, Gray, Illust. Ind. Zool., part 6. plate 8. fig. 2, 



Tern with a fuscous lake-coloured bill. 

 Length, inclusive of tail, 1 1 j to 12 inches j tail 3 T V to 3 x v inches ; 

 slightly forked, and without the lateral, elongated, and subulate 

 feathers of Sterna acuticauda. Fish only found in the stomach. 

 Gregarious. Habits and locality of the last species. Colonel 

 Sykes states it as curious, that all his specimens, seven in num- 

 ber, of Sterna acuticauda and Sterna similis proved to be fe- 

 males. Common in Dukhun. 



231. Sterna Seen a. Sterna supra cinerea ; fronte, vertice, cervi- 



ceque saturate nitide atris ; corpore infra albo, hypochondriis 



parum cinereo tinctis ; rectricibus later alibus albis. 



Irides saturate rufescenti-brunneae. Rostrum forte, flavum. 



Pedes rubri. Longitudo (cauda inclusa) 17 — 17£ unc, 



caudcv 8 — S£, rictus 2-fo. 



This species differs from Sterna qffinis of Ruppell, tab. 14. p. 23, 



in its smaller size, and having red instead of black legs; in the 



