240 THE DARTER— THE FISH-HAWK. Chap. XIII. 



together, and various others. From want of books of reference, 

 I could not decide whether they were actually new to science. 



Francolins and guinea-fowl abound along the banks ; and on 

 every dead tree and piece of rock may be seen one or two 

 species of the web-footed Plotus, darter, or snake-bird. They sit 

 most of the day sunning themselves over the stream, sometimes 

 standing erect with their wings outstretched ; occasionally they 

 may be seen engaged in fishing by diving, and, as they swim about, 

 their bodies are so much submerged, that hardly anything appears 

 above the water but their necks. Their chief time of feeding is 

 by night, and, as the sun declines, they may be seen in flocks 

 flying from their roosting-places to the fishing-grounds. This is 

 a most difficult bird to catch when disabled. It is thoroughly 

 expert in diving, — goes down so adroitly and comes up again 

 in the most unlikely places, that the people, though most 

 skilful in the management of the canoes, can rarely secure 

 them. The rump of the darter is remarkably prolonged, and 

 capable of being bent, so as to act both as a rudder in swimming, 

 and as a lever to lift the bird high enough out of the water to 

 give free scope to its wings. It can rise at will from the water 

 by means of this appendage. 



The fine fish-hawk, with white head and neck, and reddish- 

 chocolate coloured body, may also frequently be seen perched 

 on the trees, and fish are often found dead, which have fallen 

 victims to its talons. One most frequently seen in this con- 

 dition is itself a destroyer of fish. It is a stout-bodied fish, 

 about fifteen or eighteen inches long, of a light-yellow colour, 

 and gaily ornamented with stripes and spots. It has a most 

 imposing array of sharp, conical teeth outside the lips — objects 

 of dread to the fishermen, for it can use them effectually. One, 

 which we picked up dead, had killed itself by swallowing another 

 fish, which, though too large for its stomach and throat, could 

 not be disgorged. 



This fish-hawk generally kills more prey than it can devour. 

 It eats a portion of the back of the fish, and leaves the rest for 

 the Barotse, who often had a race across the river when they 

 saw an abandoned morsel lying on the opposite sandbanks. The 

 hawk is, however, not always so generous, for, as I myself was a 

 witness on the Zouga, it sometimes plunders the purse of the 



