NORTH AMERICA. 
131 
tapering from its ball to a {harp point; all the upper 
fide, the abdomen and thighs, are as black and 
giefly as a re van’s, covered with feathers f firm and 
el trie, that they in fome degree refemble fiih-fcales ; 
ti c bread and upper part of the belly are co vered 
with feathers of a cream colour; the tail is very 
long, of a deep black, and tipped with a filvery 
white, and when fp?ead, reprefents an unfurled fan. 
They delight to fit in little peaceable communities, 
on the dry limbs of trees, hanging over the dill waters, 
with their wings and tails expanded, I fuppofe to 
cool and air them (elves, when at the fame time they 
behold their images in the watery mirrpur. At fuch 
times, when we approach them, they drop off the 
limbs into the water as if dead, and for a minute or 
two are not to be feen ; when on a hidden, at a 
vaft diftanee, their long (lender head and neck 
only appear, and have very much the appearance 
of a fnake, and no other part of them is to be 
feen when fwimming in the water, except fome- 
times the tip end of the tail. In the heat of the 
day they are feen in great numbers, failing very 
high in the air, over lakes and rivers. 
I doubt not but if this bird had been an inhabit- 
ant of the Tiber in Ovid’s days, it would have 
furnifhed him with a fubjedl for fome beautiful 
and entertaining metamorphofes. I believe it 
feeds intirely on fifti, for its flefh fmelis and takes 
intolerably ftrong of it ; it is fcarcely to be eaten, 
unlefs conilrained by infufferable hunger. 
I had now fwamps and mar (lies on both fides of 
me 5 and evening coming on apace, I began to look 
but for high land to encamp on ; but the extenfive 
marihes feemed to have no bounds, and it was al- 
moft dark when I found a tolerably fuitable place, 
K 2 and 
