FEMALE BLACK-BELLIED DARTER. 647 
rising erect out of the water; and no other part of them -is to be seen 
when swimming, except sometimes the tip end of their tal. In the 
heat of the day, they are seen in great numbers, sailing very high in 
the air over lakes and rivers. : 
“I doubt not but if this bird had been an inhabitant of the Tiber in 
Ovid’s days, it would have furnished him with a subject for some beau- 
tiful and entertaining metamorphoses. I believe they feed entirely on 
fish, for their flesh smells and tastes intolerably strong of it: it is 
scarcely to be eaten, unless one is constrained by insufferable hunger. 
They inhabit the waters of Cape Fear River, and, southerly, Hast and 
West Florida.” * 
—~+>———_ 
FEMALE BLACK-BELLIED DARTER, OR SNAKE-BIRD. — 
Fig. 312. 
White-bellied Darter? Lath. Gen. Syn. vi. pe 622, 1. — Ind. Orn. p. 895. — Peale’s 
Museum, No. 3189, female. 
PLOTUS ANHINGA. — Linn xvs. 
Tue female Darter measures three feet five inches in length, and 
differs in having the neck before of a roan color, or iron gray; the 
breast, the same, but lighter, and tinged with pale chestnut ; the belly, 
as in the male; where the iron gray joins the black on the belly there 
is a narrow band of chestnut; upper head, and back of the neck, dark 
sooty brown, streaked with blackish; cheeks and chin, pale yellow 
ochre ; in every other respect, the same as the male, except in having 
only a few slight tufts of hair along the side of the neck; the tail is 
twelve inches long to its insertion, generally spread out like a fan, and 
crimped like the other on the outer vanes of the middle feathers only. 
Naturalists describe a bird of this family, which they call the White- 
bellied Darter, (P. anhinga.) We know of but one species of Plotus 
found within the United States, and suspect that the female above de- 
scribed is the White-bellied Darter of Latham and others. For the 
purpose of ascertaining the fact, we wrote to an experienced natural- 
ist residing in Georgia; but, through some unfortunate cause, no an- 
swer has been received. It is so many years since our venerable 
friend, Mr. Bartram, travelled in those regions where the Darters are 
common, that he has lost all recollection of them, except what relates 
to their general appearance. We must, therefore, content ourselves 
with our imperfect knowledge of this singular species, until some fa- 
vorable occurrence shall enable us to form a correct opinion. 
Since the above has been written, the editor has had the satisfaction 
of receiving from Mr. John Abbott, of Georgia, a valuable communica- 
tion relative to this bird and some cvhers; for which favor he offers 
his sincere acknowledgment. + 
* Banrraw’s Travels, p. 132. —MS in the possession of the author, (Mr 
Ord.J 
