THE DARTER. 



263 



The Darters {Plot us). 



The Darter has a straight and pointed bill, with indentations at 

 the point, turned in a backward direction. Its head is slender and 

 cylindrical, and forms the termination of a slim and excessively long 



Fig. 97. — Darter. 



neck, which gives it much the resemblance of a serpent grafted on 

 a bird. In all its movements this neck is the counterpart of the 

 reptile, and imitates its undulations ; therefore, in the United States 

 it has received the name of the Serpent Bird. They are untiring 

 swimmers and excellent divers. When any danger threatens them, 

 they dive under water, and do not come to the surface until they have 

 found some tufts of reeds in which to hide, even should the distance 

 be as much as 1,000 feet from the spot where they disappeared 



