P LOTUS ANHINGA. 



DARTER OR SNAKE-BIRD. 



[Plate LXXIV. Fig. 2, Female.} 



dnhingade Cayenne, PI. Enl.959. PKALE'S Musmm, /V*o. 3189, 



Female. 



THE Female Darter measures three feet five inches in length; 

 and differs in having the neck before of a roan colour or iron 

 gray, the breast the same, but lighter and tinged with pale 

 chestnut; the belly as in the male; where the iron gray joins the 

 black on the belly, there is a narrow band of chestnut; upper 

 head, and back of the neck, dark sooty brown, streaked with 

 blackish; cheeks and chin pale yellow ochre; in every other 

 respect the same as the male, except in having only a few slight 

 tufts of hair along the side of the neck; the tail is twelve inches 

 long to its insertion, generally spread out like a fan, and crimped 

 like the other on the outer vanes of the middle feathers only. 



The above is a description of the supposed female Darter, 

 which is preserved in Peale's Museum; Wilson's figure was 

 taken from this specimen. It was contrary to his practice to 

 make his drawings from stuffed birds, but as he had never had 

 an opportunity of beholding this species in a living or recent 

 state, he was compelled, in this instance, to resort to the Mu- 

 seum. 



The author having written to Mr. John Abbot, of Georgia, 

 relative to this species, and some others, received from this dis- 

 tinguished naturalist a valuable communication, from which'the 

 following extract is made: " Both the Darters I esteem as but 

 one species. I have now by me a drawing of the male, or Black- 

 bellied, only; but have had specimens of both at the same time. 

 I remember that the upper parts of the female were similar to 



