2. ptoTus. 413 



J.f. O. 1862, p. 408 [Bog-os]; Schleg. S^- Pollen, Eecher. Faun. 

 Madayaft. pt. ii. Ois. p. 137 (1868) [Madagascar]; Hartl. Vog. 

 Madaqas. p. 396 (1877) ; Grandidier, Hist. Madagas., Ois.jp. 690, 

 pis. 284, 285 (1885) ; Sidi-ee, Ibis, 1892, pp. 266, 272 [Mada- 

 gascar]. 



Anhinga levaillanti. Lesson, Traite d^Orn. p. 599, pi. 114, fig. 2 

 (1831). 



Plotus capensis, Lrti/ard, Ibis, 1869, p. 77 [Berg R., nesting]. 



Plotus chantrei, OustnJet. Ann. Sci. Nat. (6) Art. 7, p. 8 (1882) 

 [Antioch] ; Tristram, Ibis, 1880, p. 42. 



Plotus sp., Forbes, Ibis, 1883, pp. 505, 507, 514, 516, 522, 523 

 [R. Niger]. 



Adult male. Top of the head and back of the neck dark brown • 

 throat and fore-neck rufous, darkest towards the basal part of the 

 neck ; a white band commencing below the eye and extending tor 

 about five inches down each side of the neck ; a narrow lino of 

 feathers bordering the naked skin round the eye, as well as the fore- 

 head, and throat white ; base of the neck, middle of the upper back, 

 lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and rest of underparts black with 

 an oil-green gloss ; sides of the upper back, wing-coverts, scapulars, 

 and inner secondaries black, with narrow white shaft-stripes ; scapu- 

 lars falcate and elongate, the longest measuring about 8-5 inches ; 

 outer tvehs of the .secondary-coverts mostly darl- brown or reddish hrown : 

 quills and tail-feathers shining black ; the outer webs of the inner- 

 most secondaries and middle pair of tail-feathers transversely ribbed. 

 Tail composed of 12 feathers. Total length about 36 inches, culmen 

 from feathers on forehead 3*25, wing 13*1-13*7, tail 9*2-10, tarsus 

 l*6-l-7, outer toe and claw 3-2. 



Adult female. Differs from the adult male in having the top 

 of the head and middle of the back of the neck reddish brown, the 

 latter bordered on either side for half its length by a deep black 

 band; the black fore-neck and chest bordered on each side by a 

 rufous band which is continued to the shoulder, and the longest 

 falcate scapulars not measuring more than 6 inches. Total length 

 about 3G inches, culmen from feathers on forehead 3, wing 13"1, 

 tail 9-3-9"5, tarsus 1-6, outer toe and claw 3'1. 



Iris red ; bill dark yellowish green ; tarsi and feet blackish 

 yellow {T. Ay res). 



Young in down. Head, neck, and upper back covered with rust- 

 coloured down ; a white stripe down each side of the neck com- 

 mencing behind the gape ; rest of the body covered with white 

 down ; the feathers of the wing, tail, and scapulars but slightly 

 developed ; while among the down on the breast black feathers 

 fringed with brown are beginning to make their appearance. Total 

 length about 20 inches. 



TJie immature male appears to assume the black plumage of the 

 adult on the breast and underparts immediately on leaving the down. 

 This is apparent from the young bird described above. 



A youny male from Nyasa-land evidently in first plumage has the 

 entire underparts black, the feathers being only slightly fringed 

 with buff at the extremity. 



