WHITE-BELLIED DARTER. 133 



About the size of a Duck in the body, but its 

 length, from the tip of the beak to that of the tail, is 

 about two feet ten inches : the beak is greyish with 

 its base yellowish : the irides are gold-coloured : the 

 head is small, and the neck long and slender, and 

 covered with soft downy feathers of a rufous grey- 

 colour : the throat and fore part of the neck are grey, 

 the upper part of the back and scapulars are dusky 

 black: the middle of the feathers dashed with white : 

 the lower part of the back, the rump, and upper 

 tail-coverts, of a fine black : the lesser and middle 

 wing-coverts are similar to the back ; the greater co- 

 verts nearest the body are black, spotted with white, 

 the outer ones plain black : the tail consists of twelve 

 broad glossy black feathers : all the under parts of 

 the body from the breast are pure silvery white : the 

 legs and toes are yellowish-grey. 



Inhabits Brazil : it builds its nest on trees, on 

 which it roosts at night, and when not on the water, 

 being very rarely seen on the ground : it feeds upon 

 fish, which it catches most dexterously, darting upon 

 them with great rapidity. These birds delight to 

 sit in little communities, on the dry limbs of trees, 

 hanging over still waters, with their wings and tails 

 expanded ; and when any one approaches, drop off 

 the limb into the water as if dead, and for a minute 

 or two are not seen ; when on a sudden, at a vast 

 distance, their long slender heads and necks only ap- 

 pear, having much the resemblance of snakes, as no 

 other part of them is visible, whilst swimming, except 

 occasionally the tip of the tail. 



