102 DARTER, OR SNAKE-BIRD. 
down the shoulders, increasing in size according to the size of 
the feathers, and running down the scapulars ; wings and tail 
of a shining black, the latter broadly tipt with dirty white ; the 
lesser coverts are glossed with green, and are spotted with 
ashy white; the last row of the lesser coverts, and the coverts 
of the secondaries, are chiefly ashy white, which forms a large 
bar across the wing; the outer web of the large scapulars is 
crimped ; tail, rounded, the two under feathers the shortest ; 
the two upper feathers, for the greater part of their length, 
beautifully crimped on their outer webs, the two next feathers 
in a slight degree so; bill, dusky at the base and above ; the 
upper mandible brownish yellow at the sides, the lower man- 
He mentions also another inhabiting the United States, which he has 
not examined, but thinks may turn out P. Brazilianus. 
The first four species are common to Europe and America ; the three 
first are also British. In addition to these, Mr Swainson has described 
another in the “‘ Northern Zoology,’ under the title dilophus, or double- 
crested cormorant, which he cannot reconcile to any of these already 
described. His characters are :—‘‘ Tail of twelve feathers ; bill, three 
inches and a half long; a crested tuft of feathers behind each eye.” 
Tachypetes, Vieill. 
1. 7. aquilus, Vieill.—Not uncommon during summer on the coasts of the 
United States, as far south as Carolina, 
Sula, Briss. 
1. Sula Bassana, Briss:x—Common during summer over the coasts of the 
United States, especially the southern. 
2. L. fusca, Briss.—Booby.—Common in summer on the coasts of the 
southern States. 
Heliornis, Bonat. 
1. H. Surinamensis, Surinam Heliornis.—An accidental visitant in summer 
in the middle States. 
I have introduced Heliornis here, but without at all placing it in this 
station from my own opinion of its real place ; the form of the birds 
contained in it (amounting yet to only two species) is very curious, and 
though showing the form of the body, and, according to Bonaparte, of 
the skeleton of Plotus, yet the habits are much more that of the Grebes. 
This agrees with the arrangement by the Prince of Musignano in one 
range, but I do not so easily see its connection in the opposite direction 
with Phaeton and Sula, the immediately preceding genera.—Ep, 

