DARTER, OR SNAKE-BIRD, IOI 
agreeable to the touch; the commencement of the back is 
ornamented with small, oblong, ashy white spots, which pass 
of diving, and activity in the water. They show also the extreme 
structure in the power of darting and suddenly again withdrawing their 
head, The cormorants and herons possess this power to a great extent, 
and they all possess a peculiar bend of the neck, observed in certain 
circumstances of the bird’s economy, and into which that part at once 
puts itself when the bird is dead. This is produced chiefly by the 
action of two muscles ; the one inserted within the cavity of the breast, 
and running up with a long tendon to the vertebra beneath the bend ; 
the other inserted in the joint above the bend, and running far down with 
another slender tendon. The action of these two powers, resisted by the 
muscles on the back part, produce the peculiar angular bend, and enable 
the head to be thrown forward with great force. The effect may be easily 
seen, and produced, by a jointed stick having cords affixed, and acted on in 
this way. We may here introduce the genera Pelicanus, Phalacracoraz, 
Tachypetes, Sula, and Heliornis, with a short notice of the species of 
America, as pointed out by the ornithologists who have described the 
productions of that country. 
Pelicanus, Linn. 
1. P. onocrotalus.—White Pelican.—According to Bonaparte, rare and acci- 
dental on the coasts of the middle States, and said by Dr Richardson to be 
numerous in the interior of the Fur Countries, up to the 61st deg. parallel. 
2. P. fuscus, Linnzeus.—Brown Pelican.—Common in the southern States, 
where it breeds. 
Phalacracorax, Briss. 
The species of this genus amount to a considerable number, and are 
distributed over the known world, but there yet exists confusion among 
them, from the near alliance of many to each other. The Prince of 
Musignano seems to have taken the authority of Dumont for the species 
he enumerates. They are as follow :— 
1. P. carbo.—Cormorant of Wilson’s List.—Tail of fourteen feathers; rare 
and migratory in the United States. 
2. P. graculus.—Tail, twelve feathers; not uncommon in spring and 
autumn in the middle States; very common in Florida, where it breeds ; 
though very abundant in the arctic and antarctic circles. 
3. P. cristatus.—Rather rare, and found during winter only in the United 
States. 
4, P. pygmeus.—Inhabiting the north of both continents. 
5. P. Africanus.—Inhabiting Africa and America; not found in Europe. 
The Prince of Musignano is doubtful whether the two last are en- 
titled to any place in the ornithology of America, the specimens which 
he has seen of both being only reported to have been killed in that country. 
