DARTERS. 505 



The head, neck, and under parts of the body are white, in the adult 

 strongly tinged with rose red. Near the base of the upper mandi- 

 ble begins a streak of black, which curves round the upper part of 

 the eye, and ends a little way behind in a straight direction. The 

 back, rump, and scapulars white, crossed with curved streaks of 

 black : the lesser wing coverts white, some of them transversely 

 marked with black. Greater quills black, margined with white. 

 Flanks black, or varied with dusky and white. Longer tail feathers 

 about oj inches ; the 2 longest above 20 inches in length and point- 

 ed, black for one fourth of the way from the base ; the rest of the 

 tail white in the young bird, but red in the adult. Legs dusky-yel- 

 low, the claws black. 



DARTERS. (Plotus, Linn.) 



With the bill longer than the head, slender, straight, conically 

 lengthened, acuminate, much compressed, and very acute ; the man- 

 dibles equal; the edges serrulated obliquely at the point; upper 

 mandible wholly straight, the margins dilated at base, compressed 

 and iftflected towards the point. Nostrils in a rudimental furrow, 

 basal, linear, and scarcely apparent. Tongue very short. Head small 

 and lengthened ; face and throat naked ; neck long and slender, ser- 

 pentine. Feet short and stout, the tibia drawn up into the belly : toes 

 4, all connected together by a membrane, the web broad and entire ; 

 hind toe half as long as the outer; nails stout, curved and acute, the 

 middle one pectinated on the inner edge. Wings moderate, the 1st 

 primary equal to the 4th ; the 2d and 3d longest. Tail long and 

 spreading, composed of 12 feathers ; the feathers rigid, broad and 

 rounded. 



The sexes alike in their plumage : the young differing much from 

 the adult, and changing their feathers repeatedly. They moult 

 twice in the year, acquiring additional ornamental feathers in the 

 spring. The plumage soft, close and downy ; the prevailing color 

 is black. 



The Darters live in families, are extremely shy and vigilant, em- 

 inently aquatic, but keep in fresh water at a distance from the sea. 

 They never walk, nor remain long on wing, but perch on trees , 

 43 



