ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD. 149 
the body and breast become visible through the down, and the bird 
appears more curiously mottled than before. The young male now as- 
sumes the colour of the adult female, which it retains until the begin- 
ning of October, when the breast becomes streaked with dusky ; white 
spots shew themselves on the back, the black of which becomes more 
intense, and the crimpings on the two middle feathers of the tail, which 
have been more or less apparent from the first, are now perfect. By 
the middle of February, the male is in full plumage, but the eyes have 
not yet acquired their full colour, being only of a dull reddish-orange. 
In this respect also two differences are observed between the Anhinga 
and the Cormorants. The first is the rapid progress of the Anhinga 
towards maturity of plumage, the other the retaining of its complete 
dress through the whole of its life, no change taking place in its co- 
lours at each successive moult. The Cormorants, on the contrary, take 
three or four years to attain their full dress of the love season, which 
lasts only during that period of excitement. The progress of the plu- 
mage in the female Anhinga is as rapid as in the male, and the tints 
also remain unaltered through each successive moult. 
Like all other carnivorous and piscivorous birds, the Anhinga can 
remain days and nights without food, apparently without being much 
incommoded. When overtaken on being wounded, and especially if 
brought to the ground, it seems to regard its enemies without fear. 
On several occasions of this kind, I have seen it watch my approach, 
or that of my dog, standing as erect as it could under the pain of its 
wounds, with its head drawn back, its bill open, and its throat swelled 
with anger until, when at a sure distance, it would dart its head for- 
ward and give a severe wound. One which had thus struck at my dog’s 
nose, hung to it until dragged to my feet over a space of thirty paces. 
When seized by the neck, they scratch severely with their sharp claws, 
and beat their wings about you with much more vigour than you would 
suppose they could possess. Having witnessed the singular means 
employed by this bird in making its escape on sudden emergencies, I 
will here relate an instance, which evinces a kind of reason. Whilst 
ascending the St John’s river in East Florida, along with Captain 
Piercy of the U. S. Navy, our boat was rowed into a circular basin of 
clear shallow water, having a sandy bottom ; such places being found 
occasionally in that country, produced by the flowing of springs from 
the more elevated sandy parts into the muddy rivers and lakes. We 
