332 



Mr. J. H. Gurncy on Birds from Natal. 



Eagle's grasp — he, on the ground, staring about with apparently 

 the utmost astonishment at his failure. I got a long shot at 

 the Eagle, and wounded him j but he succeeded in making his 

 escape. 



Plotus levaillantii (Temm.). Le Vaillant's Darter. 



Males. Iris red. Eye small ; bill dark yellowish green ; 

 nostrils entirely wanting, or, if they are there, I cannot find them ; 

 tarsi and feet blackish yellow. A small pouch at the chin. 



These curious birds swim so low in the water that scarcely a 

 bit of their back is to be seen, and indeed hardly anything but 

 their long snake-like neck and head, which, as they swim, are 

 moved gracefully backwards and forwards. 



When in this position, the bird might easily be taken, by those 

 unacquainted with it, for a water-snake. This species lives entirely 

 on fish, and is a most expert diver. It is particularly fond, on 

 hot days, of sunning itself, with wings outstretched, on some 

 bunch of rushes or log of wood. Its flight is rather laboured, 

 yet the bird is able to sustain it for a length of time. On being 

 disturbed, it frequently circles round and round the waters which 

 it inhabits, rising higher and higher at each turn, when, having 

 attained a very considerable height, far out of gun-shot, it will 

 go straight away to some other distant pool. 



[The two specimens of this bird sent to me by Mr. Ayres 

 (both of which appear to be fully adult) exhibit the following 

 remarkable discrepancies in size and measurement : — 



With reference to the sex of these two examples, Mr. Ayres 

 writes to me as follows : — 



" The larger bird was preserved by an experienced hand, and 

 was marked male ; the smaller one I shot and skinned myself, 

 and am certain was a male.^' — J. H. G.] 



