884 



U. S. p. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



The American Darter resides throughout the year in the Southern States, not ranging higher 

 to the north than Carolina, even in summer. It frequents mostly the inland lakes and secluded 

 bayous, never visiting the sea-shore. They fly with great rapidity, and are unexcelled in swim- 

 ming and diving ; they procure their food much in the same manner as cormorants do. Their 

 nests are constructed on trees or hushes, always over the water. 



The Surinam Darter {Heliornis surinamensis, Gm.,) is noticed by Bonaparte and Nuttall as 

 accidental on our southern coast. Its occurrence must be exceedingly rare, as no instance 

 has ever come to my knowledge of one being obtained ; I do not therefore consider it entitled to 

 a place in our Fauna ; hut a short description of it may not be amiss. 



It is a small and very beautiful species, being in length only 12 inches, the wing 5| inches. 

 Above it is dark umber brown ; the primaries reddish brown ; tail blackish brown, margined 

 narrowly with white ; upper part of head and hind part of neck jet black ; a white stripe runs 

 from behind the eye along the side of the head towards the occiput ; a broad line of light 

 chestnut red begins under the eye and runs half way down the side of the neck, then succeeds a 

 line of black, which continues for the other half; between the black of the lower part of the 

 neck and that of the hind neck is a line of pure white ; throat and neck in front white ; breast 

 and abdomen white, the former tinged with pale rufous ; sides of the body brownish ash ; bill 

 orange red ; feet yellow, barred with black. 



List of specimens. 



