ANHINGA OR SNAKE-BIRD. 157 
white band, occupying the inner half of the outer web, from about an 
inch from their base to the extremity, near-which it includes a part of 
the inner web. The tail-feathers tipped with a band of brownish-red, 
fading into white. 
Length to end of tail 353 inches, to end of wings 304, to end of 
claws 283, to carpus 174; extent of wings 44; wing from flexure 14; 
tail 113; bill along the ridge 31, along the edge of lower mandible 
373; tarsus 1,4; hind toe 14, its claw ;; second toe 1 5%, its claw i323 
third toe 2,%,, its claw ,; fourth toe 243, its claw 54. Weight 33 lb. 
Adult Female. Plate CCCXVI. Fig. 2. The female has the plumage 
similar in texture to that of the male, but only a few inconspicuous 
elongated feathers on the neck. The bill is lighter than in the male, 
the naked part around the eye darker, the eye and gular sac as in the 
male; as are the feet. The upper part of the head and the hind neck 
are dull greenish-brown, lighter at the lower part, the fore part of the 
neck is pale reddish-brown, tinged with grey, lighter on the throat ; this 
colour extends over part of the breast, an inch and a half beyond the 
carpal joint, and terminates abruptly in a transverse band of deep red- 
dish-chestnut ; the rest of the lower parts as in the male, as are the 
upper, only the fore part of the back is tinged with brown, and its 
spots less distinct. 
Length to end of tail 34 inches, to end of wings 291, to end of 
claws 273; to carpal joint 161; extent of wings 43. Weight 2 lb. 
15 oz. 
In external appearance and habits, the Snake-bird is very nearly 
allied to the Cormorants. The structure of the feet is essentially the 
same in both genera, as is that of the wings and tail, the latter how- 
ever being more elongated in the Anhinga, in correspondence with the 
neck. If one might suppose a small Cormorant elongated and attenu- 
ated, with the feet rather enlarged but shortened, the head dimi- 
nished in size, and the bill formed more on the model of that of a 
Heron, being destitute of the distinct. ridge and curved unguis, he 
would form a pretty correct notion of this bird. Not only is the bill 
like that of a Heron, but the vertebra of the neck are very similar to 
those of that family, and form the same abrupt curvatures between 
the seventh and eighth vertebre. But all the other bones are those 
