D A K T E U. 623 



and pointed, the edges jagged, the colour greyilh, with ayellowifli 

 bafe : the hides gold-colour : the head is very fmall, and the 

 neck flender, of a great length, and covered with downy foft fea- 

 thers of a rufous grey colour; but the throat, and fore part of the 

 neck, are grey : the upper part of the back and fcapulars are dufky 

 black, the middle of the feathers dafhed with white : the lower 

 part of the back, rump, and upper tail coverts,, of a fine black : all 

 the under parts, from the bread, pure filvery white : theleflerand 

 middle wing coverts are like the upper part of the back ; the 

 larger ones neareft the body black, fpotted with white; but the 

 outer ones are plain black : the tail confifts of twelve pretty 

 broad and long feathers, of a glofly black : legs and toes of a yel- 

 lowifh grey. 



Inhabits Brqfil. Is faid to be very cunning in catching fijh '; Place anb.- 

 for, after the manner of/erpents, firft drawing up its neck, it darts Manwers., 

 forth the bill upon the fifi, and catches them in its claws. This 

 bird, like the Corvorant, builds the neft on trees, and roofts on 

 them at night, in the manner of that bird ; and if not on the water, 

 is for the moft part feen on the higheft branches of thofe which 

 grow in the molfcjavannas or river fides, being fcarce ever feen on 

 the ground. When at reft, frequently fits with the neck drawn. 

 in between the fhoulders, in the manner of the Heron, whereby the 

 breaft appears much fuller than it naturally is, and the neck con— 

 fiderably fhorter. The flefh is faid to be for the moft part very, 

 fat, but of an oily, rank, and difagreeable tafte *. 



• Not better than that of. a Gul. Marcgrave. — See Will. On:, p. 332. 



Aflhihgsu 



