THE WATER-BIRDS. 245 



by a headlong plunge into the water quite out of sight. They 

 feed entirely on fish, — herring and mackerel being preferred. 



White Gannet are found on both sides of the Atlantic. 

 On the American side they breed on Gannet Rock, in the 

 Gulf of St. Lawrence, and at one or two other places in that 

 region. Like other gregarious sea-fowl, they suffer much at 

 the hands of the fishermen and are rapidly decreasing in 

 numbers. After the breeding season they follow the open 

 sea in quest of their favorite quarry, and often guide the 

 fishermen to an abundance of herring and mackerel. Their 

 manner of fishing is as methodical as the evolutions of a mili- 

 tary company. They fly in single file, and as each individual 

 comes over a shoal of fish he closes his wings and dashes 

 down with unerring aim into the waves, to appear again in a 

 moment and take his place in line. 



Along the south Atlantic and Gulf coast is found the Brown 

 Gannet, better known among sailors as the "booby," so 

 named because it has in many instances been so foolish as 

 to alight on ships at sea and allow itself to be caught by the 

 hand. The booby's habits do not materially differ from those 

 of the white gannet. A South American species known only 

 along the coast of Peru contributes to the guano supply. 



THE DARTER. 



The Darter, or Snake-Bird, is a native of the Southern States, 

 ranging in summer as far north as the Carolinas and Illinois. 

 Its appearance is that of a duck with rather long fan-shaped 

 tail, extremely long slender neck, small head, and long pointed 

 bill. It is an expert diver, having a curious faculty of being 

 able to swim at any degree of submergence, from high floating 

 to such a depth that only the head remains in sight, when its 

 apparent snakiness is startling. It feeds on a great variety of 

 fish, frogs, lizards, crawfish, leeches, shrimps, young alligators, 

 snakes, terrapin, which it can overtake under water like a true 

 diver. It is a shy, watchful bird, living in secluded swamps. 



