224 THE DARTER — THE FISH-HAWK. 



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 condition 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 pelican. 

 Soaring over head, and seeing this large, stupid bird fishing 

 beneath, it watches till a fine fish is safe in the pelican's 

 pouch ; then descending, not very quickly, but with con- 

 siderable noise of wing, the pelican looks up to see what is 



