GANNETS AND DARTERS 37 



GANNETS: Family Sulidac. 

 [BOOBY: Sula leueogastris (Boddaert). 



The booby gannet is a tropical species, occurring casually on the 

 Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. It has been observed 

 on the lower Mississippi, in Louisiana, in September and January, and 

 may therefore be expected to occur along the Alabama coast.] 



DARTERS: Family Anhingidae. 



WATER-TURKEY; SNAKE BIRD: Anhinga anhinga 



(Linnaeus) . 



State records. — The water-turkey, sometimes called snake- 

 bird or anhinga, is a rare and local resident, though formerly 

 probably not uncommon. It is a swamp-loving bird and is 

 thus most likely to be found in the extensive sloughs border- 

 ing the lower Alabama and Tensaw Rivers. At Chuckvee 

 Bay, July 11, 1913, I saw two individuals — one flying over 

 the bay, the other sitting on a log in a shallow bayou. At 

 Stiggins Lake, near Mount Vernon, May 26, 1914, we took 

 two females, which were undoubtedly breeding in the vicinity. 

 The bird is reported by C. M. HoUoway to breed near Carlton, 

 two young ones having been seen there by him in 1911. L. S. 

 Golsan states that a pair was seen in Bear Swamp near 

 Autaugaville, in July, 1883, and others were frequently killed 

 in fall prior to that date.f Avery reports the species as a 

 rare breeder at Greensboro, and Brown records it on the 

 authority of sportsmen as common in summer at Coosada.J 



General habits. — This curious bird is a dweller in swamps 

 and timbered sloughs and bayous, often nesting in company 

 with great blue herons, cormorants, or other swamp-loving 

 birds. Its nest is placed either in low bushes or tall trees, 

 and as it prefers fresh water, it is rarely seen on the coast. 

 It is rather a sluggish bird and spends a good deal of its time 

 sitting quietly on stubs or in bushes over the water, often 

 spreading its wings in the morning sun as if to dry them. It 

 is a strong flyer, however, and is sometimes seen soaring at 

 a considerable height, much like a buzzard; it sails a short 



tGoIsan and Holt, The Auk, vol. 31, p. 216, 1914. 



JBrown, N. C, BuU. Nuttall Orn. Club, vol. 4, p. 13, 1879. 



