BIRDS PLOTIDAE — PLOTUS ANHINGA. 883 



Family PLOTIDAE. 



Ch. — Bill long, straight, a slight curvature at the end, the edges serrated ; nostrils small ; wings long ; tail long and rounded, 

 narrow at base ; tarsi short and strong ; toes united by full webs ; face and throat bare, the latter with an extensible sac. 



Sub-Family PLOTINAE. 



Ch. — Bill long, slender, nearly straight and sharp at the point ; nostrils very small ; wings rather long ; tail long, widening 

 at the end ; tarsi stout and very short ; toes long, connected by full webs ; claws strong and curved ; gular sac rather moderate . 



Only a single genus is comprised in this sub-family, containing but four recorded species, one 

 peculiar to America, and one each to Africa, Asia, and Australia. 



PLOTUS, Linnaeus. 



Plotus, Linn. Syst. N^it. 1766. Type P. anhinga. 



Ch. — Bill about twice the length of the head, very slender and pointed, with the sides compressed ; nostrils scarcely visible ; 

 wings moderately long, third primary longest ; tail long, narrow at the base but becoming broader at the end, which is rounded, 

 the shafts very strong ; tarsi short and very stout ; toes long and united by full webs ; claws strong, curved, and acute, the 

 middle one pectinated ; gular sac capable of considerable distention ; neck very long and slender. 



The species of tliis genus inhabit the warm regions of the Old World, and also of America. 

 They assemble in communities on the shores of inland lakes, on rivers, and submerged swamps, 

 placing their nests on trees ; they are exceedingly watchful and difficult to approach, are very 

 expert in swimming and diving, 



PLOTUS ANHINGA, Linnaeus. 



Darter; Snake Bird; Water Turkey. 



Plotus anhinga, Linn. Syst. Nat. 1766, 580 Bon. Syn. 1828, No. 362.— Ib. Cons. Av. II, 1855, 180.— Ann. Orn. 



Biog. IV, 1838, 136 — Ib. Syn. 1839, 306 — Ib. Birds Am. VI, 1843, 443 ; pi. ccccxx.— Nutt. Man, 



II, 1834, 507. 

 Plotm melanogaster, WiLS. Am. Orn. IX, 1824, 79 & 82 ; pi. Ixxiv. 



Sp. Ch. — Greenish black ; a broad band of gray over the wings ; bill long, slender, and pointed ; tail long, increasing in 

 width at the end. 



Mult male. Head, neck, back, and entire under plumage glossy greenish black ; on each side of the upper part of the back 

 is a broad band extending downwards, composed of spots of a greyish white color; they are quite small on the upper part, but 

 become larger and elongated lower down ; the scapularies and tertiaries are long and lanceolate in shape ; they are black, but 

 largely striped longitudinally with greyish white ; the smaller wing coverts are black at the base, terminating with greyish 

 white ; the larger coverts are almost entirely of this color, havmg a narrow margin of black on a portion only of their inner 

 webs, this forms a conspicuous broad band over the wings ; primaries and secondaries black ; tail black, with a terminal margin 

 of brownish ash, paler at the end ; the two central feathers are crimped on their outer webs for their entire length — this peculiar 

 character exists also on some of the tertiary feathers ; on the sides and hack of the neck are numerous elongated filamentous 

 feathers of a dark ash color ; bare space in the region of the eye bluish green ; gular pouch orange ; upper mandible dull olive, 

 with the edges yellow ; lower yellow, the edges and tip dusky green ; iris bright carmine ; tarsi and toes dusky olive in front ; 

 behind and the webs yellow ; claws brownish black. 



Length, about 35 inches ; wing, 14 ; tail, 11 ; bill, 3.25 ; tarsus, 1 .35. 



The female has the upper part of the head, neck behind, and upper part of back brown ; neck underneath and breast of a 

 light faWn color, margined with reddish brown where it joins the black of the abdomen ; elongated ash colored feathers on the 

 neck very few ; in other respects resembling the male. 



Hail.— Southern States from Florida to Carolina ; Texas. 



