LIFE HISTOEIES OF NORTH AMERICAN PETRELS AND PELICANS. 235 



making scarcely a ripple. In pursuit of its prey it does not plunge 

 from the air into the water, but dives from the surface, disappearing 

 like a flash with the least possible effort or commotion, like a master 

 diver with perfect control of its movements in its favorite element. 

 Under water its long slender body is propelled by the powerful feet 

 alone, the wings tightly folded and the broad tail guiding its move- 

 ments. 

 Audubon (1840) says of its roosting habits : 



The anhinga is altogether a diurnal bird, and, like the cormorant, is fond of 

 returning to the same roosting place every evening about dusk, unless prevented 

 by molestation. At times I have seen from three to seven alight on the dead top 

 branches of a tall tree, for the purpose of there spending the night ; and this 

 they repeated for several weeks, until on my having killed some of them and 

 wounded others, the rest abandoned the spot, and after several furious contests 

 with a party that roosted about two miles off succeeded in establishing themselves 

 among them. At such times they seldom sit very near each other, as cormorants 

 do, but keep at a distance of a few feet or yards, according to the nature of the 

 branches. Whilst asleep they stand with the body almost erect, but never bend 

 the tarsus so as to aijply it in its whole length, as the cormorant does ; they keep 

 their head snugly covered among their scapulars, and at times emit a wheezing 

 sound, which I supposed to be produced by their breathing. In rainy weather 

 they often remain roosted the greater part of the day, and on such occasions 

 they stand erect, with their neck and head stretched upwards, remaining per- 

 fectly motionless, as if to allow the water to glide oif their plumage. Now and 

 then, however, they suddenly ruffle their feathers, violently shake themselves, 

 and again compressing their form, resume their singular position. 



Aside from the whistling notes, referred to above as a part of their 

 courtship performances, their only utterances are the rough, grunt- 

 ing call notes, much like the sounds made by cormorants. Even these 

 are not often heard, as the birds are usually silent. I have never 

 noticed anything Avorthy of comment in their behavior toward other 

 species ; they seem to be peaceful and harmless neighbors in the large, 

 mixed rookeries where they breed ; and, so far as I know, they seem 

 to have no serious enemies. They attend strictly to their own af- 

 fairs, have their own favorite haunts and usually flock by themselves. 

 They are practically useless for food and their plumage is not in 

 demand. 



Winter. — At the approach of winter the water-turkeys withdraw 

 from their northern breeding grounds and spend the winter in Florida 

 and the Gulf States. At this season they become more gregarious 

 and are often seen flying about in large flocks. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Breeding range. — Tropical and subtropical regions in North and 

 South America. In the United States, north to south central Texas 

 (Bexar County) , eastern Arkansas (Helena) , southern Illinois (Cairo 



