2. PL0TTJ3. 411 



cutting-edges of the mandibles serrated along the terminal half ; no 

 lateral groove ; nostrils riidimentary. Neck very long and slender, 

 Avith a bend at the eighth and ninth vertebra?, and provided with a 

 peculiar mechanism which enables the bird, by suddenly straightening 

 the neck, to transfix with its bill the fishes it captures. Wing 

 pointed, the primaries stiff and strong, the second or third quill 

 longest ; scapulars elongate and lanceolate. Tail long, cuneate, and 

 composed of twelve rigid feathers ; the middle pair of tail-feathers 

 as well as the innermost secondaries transversely ribbed. Tarsus 

 short, outer toe longest ; claws curved, that of the middle toe 

 pectinate. 



Bange. Lake of Antioch, North Syria ; Africa south of about 

 20° N. latitude ; Madagascar : Mesopotamia to the Indo-Chinese 

 countries, through the Malay Archipelago, to New Guinea, Australia, 

 and New Zealand. Tropical and subtropical America. 



Key to the Species. 



I. Tail not tipped with white. 



A. Outer webs of the secoudar3'-coverts mostly 



reddish bi'own, entire fore-neck from throat 

 downward chestnut. 



a. Black at the base of the fore-neck and chest 



not divided from the base of the hiud-ueck 



and upper back by chestnut bands .... rufus cj ad., p. 412, 



b. Black at the base of the fore-neck and chest 



divided on each side from the base of the 

 hind-neck and upper back by a chestnut 

 band, terminating at the shoulder rufus J ad., p. 412, 



B. Outer webs of the secondary-coverts mostly 



silvery white ; the fore-neck never en- 

 tirely chestnut. 



c. Scapulars much elongate, more than 5 



inches in length. 



a'. Black at the base of the fore-neck and 

 chest not divided from the brown base 



of the hind-neck and upper back bj^ [? very old 2 , P- 414, 

 buff bands melanogaster S ad., 



b'. Black at the base of fore-neck and chest 

 divided on each side from the hind-neck 



and upper back by a wide buff band, [p. 414, 



terminating at the shoulder melanogaster $ ad., 



d. Scapulars less elongate, less than 5 inches 



in length. 

 c'. Neck and underparts black ; an elongate 



patch of chestnut on the base of the [p. 417. 



fore-neck nova-lwllandia S ad., 



iV. Fore-neck and imderparts white novcB-hoUandice^^^; 



n. Tail tipped with white. [p. 417. 



C. Fore-neck and chest black Uke the rest of 



the imderparts anhinga S nd., p. 419, 



D. Fore-neck and chest whitish or buff .:.... anhinga $ ad., p. 419, 



