14 THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 



siderable ease. In the water they swim low, with 

 the tail awash, the Darters only showing head 

 and neck ; they dive most excellently. 



Flight. — Direct and powerful, much like a duck's, but 

 with some sailing intervals ; in starting off the 

 water they rise heavily and strike it with both feet 

 together, not running on it like some ducks. Cor- 

 morants extend the whole neck in flight ; Darters 

 carry it semi-retracted ; both extend the feet. 



Note. — Harsh and croaking ; but they are not noisy 

 birds. 



Disposition and Habits. — They are rather sociable 

 when breeding, but quarrelsome ; fierce, wary and 

 intelligent ; they spend little time in the water 

 when not fishing, and are fond of sitting perched 

 with outspread wings when first leaving it. 



Economic Qualities. — Cormorants are destructive 

 where the fresh -water fish are of value ; they have 

 locally some value as articles of food and guano - 

 producers. 



Captivity. — Cormorants are easily kept, and the com- 

 mon European species [Phalacrocorax carbo) has 

 bred ; in China it is domesticated, being regularly 

 bred, the young reared by hand after hatching 

 under hens, and trained to catch fish as a source of 

 profit. 



Distribution and Important Species. — There are 

 three dozen species of Cormorants and three of 

 the very long-necked straight-billed Darters 

 {Plotus) . The latter are confined to warm climates ; 

 one inhabits Africa and Asia Minor, one Southern 

 Asia, one Australia, and one tropical America. 

 The first three are all much alike, and the Indian 

 species is well known as " Snake-bird " ; the 

 American, among other differences, has a pale 

 tip to the tail. All are arboreal fresh-water 

 birds. 



