390 ZOOLOGY. 



Sub-fain. 2. PlotincB, or Darters. Bill long, slender, acute ; wings long ; 

 tail rather long ; tarsi short, very strong ; feet large, fully webbed ; neck 

 long and slender. Size rather large ; color black. 



The darters, of which only four species are known, inhabit the southern 

 re"-ions of both continents. In the southern states of the North American 

 confederacy, a species is frequent, and is known by the nanne of " snake 

 bird," on account of its long, slender neck, and its habit of swimming with 

 its body submerged, the neck and head only being visible, and presenting 

 much the appearance of a serpent. It is a constant resident in Florida, 

 and is the Plotus anhinga {pi. 92, fg. 5). The other species inhabit Africa 

 and Australia. 



Suh-fam. 3. PelecanincB, Pelicans and Gannets. Bill long, rather 

 slender, tip hooked ; lower mandible and throat furnished with a pouch, 

 capable of more or less distension ; wings long, pointed ; tail moderate ; 

 tarsi short ; toes moderate, rather long, all four of which are united by the 

 web. Size generally large; color mostly white in aduUs. 



The pelicans, which are at once recognised by their large pouches 

 attached to the under mandible, are scattered throughout the world, living 

 indifferently on rivers, lakes, or the sea coast. The principal American 

 species is the large white pelican {Pelecanus americanus) , of which we beg 

 the liberty of extracting the following account from Audubon. 



" As this species is often seen along the sea shores, as well as on fresh 

 water, I will give you a description of its manners there. While on the 

 island of Barataria, in April, 1837, I one afternoon observed a number of 

 white pelicans swimming against the wind and current, with their wings 

 partially extended, and the neck stretched out, the upper mandible alone 

 appearing above the surface, while the lower must have been used as a 

 scoop net, as I saw it raised from time to time, and brought to meet the 

 upper, when the whole bill immediately fell into a perpendicular position, 

 the water was allowed to run out, and being again raised upwards, the fish 

 was swallowed. After thus swimming for about a hundred yards in an 

 extended line, and parallel to each other, they would rise on wing, wheel 

 about, and re-alight at the place where their fishing had commenced, when 

 they would repeat the same actions. I continued watching them more 

 than an hour, concealed among a large quantity of drifted logs, until their 

 fishing was finished, when they all flew off" to the lee of another island, no 

 doubt to spend the night there, for these birds are altogether diurnal. 

 When gorged, they retire to the shores, to small islands in bays or rivers, 

 or sit on logs floating in shallow waters at a good distance from the beach, 

 in all which situations they are prone to lie down or stand closely 

 together." 



This bird is a constant resident in the southern parts of the United 

 States, as is also the brown pelican (P. fuscus), a smaller species, but very 

 similar in general history. 



The great pelican {P. onocrotalus), and the hairy pelican, P. crispns 

 {pi. 91, fg. 6), which are the largest of all species, inhabit the seas of 

 Europe and Asia. Six or eight other species are known. 

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