884 
U. S. P. R. E. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY GENERAL REPORT. 
The American Darter resides throughout the year in the Southern States, not ranging higher 
to the north than Carolina, even in summer. It frequents mostly the inland lakes and secluded 
bayous, never visiting the sea-shore. They fly with great rapidity, and are unexcelled in swim- 
ming and diving ; they procure their food much in the same manner as cormorants do. Their 
nests are constructed on trees or bushes, always over the water. 
The Surinam Darter (Heliornis surinarnensis, Gm.,) is noticed by Bonaparte and Nuttall as 
accidental on our southern coast. Its occurrence must be exceedingly rare, as no instance 
has ever come to my knowledge of one being obtained ; I do not therefore consider it entitled to 
a place in our Fauna ; but a short description of it may not be amiss. 
It is a small and very beautiful species, being in length only 12 inches, the wing 5f inches. 
Above it is dark umber brown ; the primaries reddish brown ; tail blackish brown, margined 
narrowly with white ; upper part of head and hind part of neck jet black ; a white stripe runs 
from behind the eye along the side of the head towards the occiput ; a broad line of light 
chestnut red begins under the eye and runs half way down the side of the neck, then succeeds a 
line of black, which continues for the other half ; between the black of the lower part of the 
neck and that of the hind neck is a line of pure white ; throat and neck in front white ; breast 
and abdomen white, the former tinged with pale rufous ; sides of the body brownish ash ; bill 
orange red ; feet yellow, barred with black. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. Sex and 
No. age. 
Locality. 
Whence obtained. 
Original 
No. 
Wings. 
1 s 
1035 
1036 
13. 25 
13. 25 
Q 
do 
do 
South Atlantic coast 
S. F. Baird 
9898 Q 
