ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD. 155 
The flesh of the Anhinga, after the bird is grown, is dark, firm, oily, 
and unfit for food, with the exception of the smaller pectoral muscles 
of the female, which are white and delicate. The crimpings of the 
two middle tail-feathers become more deeply marked during the breed- 
ing season, especially in the male. When young, the female shews 
them only in a slight degree, and never has them so decided as the 
male. 
Puorus Anuinea, Linn, Syst. Nat., vol. i. p. 218.—Lath. Ind. Ornith., vol. ii. p. 
895.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 411. 
Prorus MELANOGASTER, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 895. 
BLack-BELLIED DarTER, PLotus MELANOGASTER, Wils. Amer. Ornith., vol. ix. 
p. 75, pl. 74, fig. 1. adult, and p. 82. pl. 74, fig. 2. young. 
BLAcK-BELLIED Darter, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 507. 
Adult male. Plate CCCXVI. Fig. 1. 
Bill about twice the length of the head, almost straight, being very 
slightly recurved, rather slender, compressed, tapering to a fine point. 
Upper mandible with the dorsal outline slightly declinate, and almost 
straight, being however somewhat convex, the ridge convex, gradually 
narrowed, the sides sloping, the edges sharp, and beyond the middle 
cut into minute slender-pointed serratures, which are directed back- 
wards; the tips very slender. Lower mandible with the angle very 
long and narrow, the dorsal line beyond it straight and ascending, the 
sides sloping slightly outwards, the edges sharp and serrated like those 
of the upper, the point extremely narrow ; the gape line slightly ascend- 
ing towards the end. No external nostrils. 
Head very small, oblong. Neck very long and slender. Body elon- 
gated and slender. Feet very short and stout. ‘Tibia feathered to 
the joint. Tarsus very short, roundish, reticulated all over, the scales 
on the hind part extremely small. ‘Toes all connected by webs; the 
first of moderate length, the second much longer, the fourth longest 
and slightly margined externally ; the first toe and the first phalanges 
of the rest, covered above with transverse series of scales, the rest of 
their extent scutellate. Claws rather large, very strong, compressed, 
curved, very acute ; the outer smallest, the third longest, with a deep 
groove on the inner side, and a narrow thin edge, cut with parallel 
slits ; those of the first and second toes nearly equal. 
There is a bare space at the base of the upper mandible, including 
