200 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



they do, and taking such headers. It was too hot to climb to every nest within reach ; and after 

 trying a few, we found that there was always a chance of an egg in a nest upon which, and not near 

 which, an old bird sat. Even in this way, after a long search, we only secured four rotten eggs. 

 A few Man-of-War Birds breed in the same trees, nearly all of which had eggs. This Booby makes a 

 nest very like that of a Man-of-War Bird, i.e., of twigs rather untidily laid together in a convenient 



CORMOKANT. 



fork in the top of a tree. I could not easily calculate the number of birds in this colony, but there 

 were certainly several thousands." 



The Darters (Plotus) are only four in number, and are inhabitants of the tropical and southern 

 portions of both hemispheres, never occurring in the northern parts. One species inhabits South 

 America, another Africa, a third India and the Malay countries, and a fourth Australia. They are 

 also called Snake-necks, from the habit they have of swimming with the body submerged and only the 

 neck exposed above the water, so that they really look not unlike a snake coming along. They are on 

 this account not very easy to shoot, as their long thin necks offer a very indifferent target. They 

 inhabit fresh water, and are not shy in districts where they have been unmolested. 



The Cormorants (Phalacrocorax) are a much larger group than the Snake-necks, and are 

 found all over the world, some of them being very large, while others are quite small and of 

 elegant form. Many of the Cormorants are ornamented with a somewhat metallic plumage, 



