ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD. 145 
til you have fired several bullets from your rifle at it. Its mode of 
fishing is not to plunge from a tree or stump in pursuit of its prey, but 
to dive while swimming in the manner of Cormorants and many other 
birds. Indeed, it could very seldom see a fish from above the surface 
of the turbid waters which it prefers. 
It moves along the branches of trees rather awkwardly ; but still it 
walks there, with the aid of its wings, which it extends for that pur- 
pose, and not unfrequently also using its bill in the manner of a Par- 
rot. On the land, it walks and even runs with considerable ease, cer- 
tainly with more expertness than the Cormorant, though much in the 
same style. But it does not employ its tail to aid it, for, on the con- 
trary, it carries that organ inclined upwards, and during its progress 
from one place to another, the movements of its head and neck are con- 
tinued. These movements, which, as I have said, resemble sudden 
jerkings of the parts to their full extent, become extremely graceful 
during the love season, when they are reduced to gentle curvatures. 
I must not forget to say, that during all these movements, the gular 
pouch is distended, and the bird emits rough guttural sounds. If they 
are courting on wing, however, in the manner of Cormorants, Hawks, 
and many other birds, they emit a whistling note, somewhat resembling 
that of some of our rapacious birds, and which may be expressed by 
the syllables ech, eck, eek, the first loudest, and the rest diminishing in 
strength. When they are on the water, their call-notes so much re- 
semble the rough grunting cries of the Florida Cormorant, that I have 
often mistaken them for the latter. 
The flight of the Anhinga is swift, and at times well sustained ; 
but like the Cormorants, it has the habit of spreading its wings and 
tail before it leaves its perch or the surface of the water, thus frequently 
affording the sportsman a good opportunity of shooting it. When once 
on wing, they can rise to a vast height, in beautiful gyrations, varied 
during the love-season by zigzag lines chiefly performed by the male, 
as he plays around his beloved. At times they quite disappear from 
the gaze, lost as it were, in the upper regions of the air; and at other 
times, when much lower, seem to remain suspended in the same spot 
for several seconds. All this while, and indeed as long as they are 
flying, their wings are directly extended, their neck stretched to its 
full length, their tail more or less spread according to the movements 
VOL. IV. K 
