PLOTUS MELANOGASTER. 1195 



feathers more fulvous, and at the sides of the hind neck there is a broad tawny yellow border next the black of 

 the chest, extending up to the pale stripe on the centre of the fore neck ; the stripes of the scapulars, those of 

 the wing-coverts, and the spots of the shoulders are pale golden instead of white. 



Young. The nestling is covered with white down, and the first plumage is acquired as follows, my observations being 

 based upon a pair which I took from the nest and reared :— The black scapular feathers, quills, and tail-feathers 

 are acquired first ; the quills grow rapidly, then the greater wing-coverts, which are silvery whitish ; blackish down- 

 like feathers then appear on the rump and on the shoulders, and then a line of dark feathers down the centre of 

 the breast, which gradually extend to the flanks (during this time the head and neck remain in the white down) ; 

 shortly afterwards feathers with fulvous edgings appear at the sides of the shoulders and at the point of the wing ; 

 then the hind neck commences to clothe from the shoulders upwards, and then the forehead and front of the crown, 

 which are bare and bluish green, commence to clothe with white down. The under surface becomes quickly 

 feathered, eight or nine days only elapsing from the time the black stripe appears until the entire breast and belly 

 are clothed in black feathers with fulvous tips. The iris at this stage is greyish olive and the bill dusky fleshy ; 

 legs and feet bluish. The time taken for the whole body to become feathered was from the 12th of February to 

 the 10th of March, at which latter date, however, the neck was still in white down, giving the bird a handsome 

 appearance. 



In the first year. Iris yellowish grey ; bill brownish green ; tarsus and toes exteriorly brown, interiorly yellowish. 



A male before me has the crown and down the centre of the hind neck blackish brown, the sides of the neck dark 

 tawny, paling in front, the centres of the feathers dark ; chin and throat whitish, the feathers extending in a line 

 along the lower part of the loral skin, which in the adult is entirely bare ; face tawny, with an indication of the 

 whitish stripe ; under surface and lower part of the fore neck black, with pale tips to the feathers, the tawny 

 yellow bordering next to the shoulders broad and blending into the blackish of the back of the neck ; the upper 

 scapulars are short but narrow, and have the white stripes, as have also the wing-coverts ; the margins of both 

 are, however, fulvous ; the corrugations of the tail and scapulars are almost obsolete. 



The full plumage is not acquired until after the second moult. 



■Obs. The Australian Darter (P. novce-hollandice, Gould) is allied to the present species. The lower part of the throat 

 is rufous, and there is an arrow-shaped white gorget, beneath which the neck is brown, the stripe on the side being 

 much broader than in the Indian bird. The light colour of the neck is divided off from the black under surface by 

 a pale border in the same way. A specimen in the British Museum measures as follows — wing 13'5 inches, tail 9 - 5, 

 tarsus 1'65. In Africa is a third species, P. levaillanti, Temm., of similar size to the two already noticed — wing 12-1 

 to 13'18 (Neuglin), 13 - 5 (Layard). It has the sides of the neck striped with black ; scapulars striped with fulvous. 

 A fourth species is the American Darter (P. anhinga, Linn.), specimens of which were brought to the Zoological 

 Gardens in Loudon some years ago. 



Distribution. — The Darter is a common bird in the hot jungle-clad districts of the island, frequenting the 

 vicinity of tanks from the extreme north down to the neighbourhood of Kurunegala on the west, and round 

 the east coast as far as Hambantota and the Girawa Pattuwa. I have met with it at all large tanks and many 

 small village ones throughout the northern forests, and found it breeding in the neighbourhood of Trincomalie 

 not far from the sea. It inhabits the Bintenne Lake, and perhaps other sheets of water near the base of the 

 hills. It is common in the Hambantota district ; but I do not know that it extends westwards much 

 beyond Tangalla, except as a straggler, for there, as also in the Western Province, where I have never seen 

 it, the country is unsuited to its habits. It has, however, been occasionally procured at Kotte lake. It 

 reappears north of the Maha-oya, and breeds at the Nikaweratiya tank. Mr. Holdsworth met with it at 

 Aripu, and I believe it is found at the head of the Jaffna lagoon. 



It is found throughout India, being, according to Jerdon, exceedingly numerous in some parts of the 

 country, especially in Bengal, where hundreds are often to be seen on a single jheel. As regards its presence 

 at tanks in the Carnatic, I find no special mention ; but in the Deccan Messrs. Davidson and Wenden say 

 that it is sparingly distributed. It is found throughout Chota Nagpur, from all districts of which Mr. Ball 

 records it, as also from the eastern parts of the Central Provinces southwards to the Godaveri river. Turning 

 westwards I find Mr. Hume noting it as occurring on the inland lakes of Sindh ; and Mr. Doig records it as 

 breeding on the Eastern Narra. It is common in Guzerat, Cutch, and Kattiawar, and in February Mr. Hume 



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