-.vm; 



I>I.0T1N«, 



remainder of neck and head brown, rnnset-broimi on. the front, oftht 



/T^l 



feathers on the latter pa!e brow 

 neck, darker hronm on the crown of the head and hiiid-mck : a n:hite stripe extends below each eye on 

 to the sides of the neck, iride in the centre but narrow at each em/ : a simiiar stripe roiinionces at the 

 base of the lower miuulibfe, and. joins the white margin of feathers borrleriny tlie skin of the throat ; bill 

 ol) re-brown, cuttimj edge of upper niandible and entire under inan.dibl e yellow ; bare skin of throat 

 and around the eye yellow ; legs and. feet fleshy-yellow. 'I'otal fnytli. in the flesh ;i5 inches, wing 

 l.'.-S, tail 9, bill 2-0, tarsus 1-Ho. 



Adult female. — General cobnir abore brown, the cenln's of tlir fnitlirrs on the cronm of tlwhead, 

 hind-neck and -upper back dark brotvn ; scapulars blackish-broirn with a narrow lanceolate stripe of 

 silvery-white down the centre and margined with pale bron-n «r nhity-broum : lesser upper wing-coverts 

 whitish, the remainder hlackish-brou-n with a broad stripr „f silver y-grey dnwn. the centre.- (pulls 

 black, the innermost secondari's broadly streaked with silrery-grey .- fail-feathers black : all the under 

 surface and umler tail-corerts white, the fore-neck u-asl(ed with brown : jlan.ks blackish-bronui. 

 Total length in the flesh oS inches, iring 13, tail 9, bill :.'-9, tarsus l-r,.-,. 



Distribution. — Korth-\vei,tern Australia, Northern Territory of South Australia, Queensland, 

 New South Wales, N'ictoria, South Australia, Western Australia. 



illE genus Plotiis is almost 

 cosmopolitan, occurinj; in 

 Asia, Africa, tropical and sub- 

 tropical America, the Malay Archi- 

 pelago, New Guinea and Australia. 

 The present species is generally 

 distributed, in favourable situa- 

 tions over the Australian Conti- 

 nent, and is likewise found in the 

 southern parts of New Guinea. 

 In the Australian Museum Col- 

 lection are specimens from the 

 latter island and all the States. 



Unlike the different species of 

 Cormorants, it does not frequent 

 the rocky islets around the coast, 

 although it may be found in the 

 sheltered bays and inlets of the 

 coast-line. It evinces a decided 



DARTER. t „ , J 



preference for the more placid 

 lakes, rivers and lagoons inland, situations that afford it an abundant supply of food, for which 

 its sinuous snake-like neck and long sharp-pointed bill is well adapted for the purpose of securing 

 its finny prey ; aquatic insects, and small reptiles also constitute portion of its food. While 

 undoubtedly at home on, or in the water, for usually the greater part of its body is submerged, 

 when paddling about in search of food, it often remains perched erect and motionless, with half- 

 opened wings, on tfie bough of some lofty tree. A favourite perch for this bird is a snag about 

 a foot or two above water, where crouched low down it may secure any passing fish. When 

 disturbed by too near an approach, the Darter gently slides off its perch and disappears, often 

 without a splash or ripple, and appears generally some twenty or thirty yards away. 



The transverse ribbing of the innermost secondaries and central tail-feathers is more marked 

 in some specimens than others, and at all times is more pronounced in the male than the female. 

 Much has been written of the peculiar kiiil; in the neck of the Darter, and is thus referred to by 



