WIIITE-BELLTED DARTER. 133 



About the size of a Duck in the body, but its 

 length, from the tip of the beak to that of the tail, is 

 about two feet ten inches : the beak is greyish with 

 its base yellowish : the irides are gold-coloured : the 

 head is small, and the neck long and slender, and 

 covered with soft downy feathers of a rufous grey- 

 colour : the throat and fore part of the neck are grey, 

 the upper part of the back and scapulars are dusky 

 black : the middle of the feathers dashed with white : 

 the lower part of the back, the rump, and upper 

 tail-coverts, of a fine black : the lesser and middle 

 wing-coverts are similar to the back ; the greater co- 

 verts nearest the body are black, spotted with white, 

 the outer ones plain black : the tail consists of tw^elve 

 broad glossy black feathers : all the under parts of 

 the body from the breast are pure silvery white : the 

 legs and toes are yellowish-grey. 



Inhabits Brazil : it builds its nest on trees, on 

 which it roosts at night, and when not on the water, 

 being very rarely seen on the ground : it feeds upon 

 fish, which it catches most dexterously, darting upon 

 them with great rapidity. These birds delight to 

 sit in little communities, on the dry limbs of trees,- 

 hanging over still waters, with their wings and tails 

 expanded ; and when any one approaches, drop off 

 the limb into the water as if dead, and for a minute 

 or two are not seen ; when on a sudden, at a vast 

 distance, their long slender heads and necks only ap- 

 pear, having much the resemblance of snakes, as no 

 other part of them is visible, whilst swimming, except 

 occasionally the tip of the tail. 



