FEMALE DARTER, OR SNAKE BIRD. 
253 
290. PLOTUS Mr.LANOGASTER, WIT, SON. 
FE31ALE BLACK-BELLIED DARTER, OR SNAKE BIRD.* 
’'‘•iSON, PLATE LXXIV. FIG. II. — EDIKBDRGH COLLEGE MUSEUM. 
I The female darter measures three feet live inches in 
^^gth, and diffei’S in having- the neck before of a roan 
f*’lour or iron gray, the breast the same, but lighter, 
tinged with pale chestnut ; the belly as in the male ; 
^here the iron gray joins the black on the belly there 
I narrow band of chestnut; upper head and back of 
I Je neck, dark sooty brown, streaked with blackish ; 
“''eeks and chin, pale yellow ochre; iu every other 
the same as the male, except in having only a 
, ^ slight tufts of hair along the side of the neck; the 
is twelve inches long to its insertion, generally 
^Pfead out like a fan, and crimped like the other on the 
""ter vanes of the middle feathers only, 
j The above is a description of the supposed female 
""'■ter, which is preserved in Peale’s museum. 
pThe author having written to Mr John Abbott of 
Georgia, relative to this species, and some others, 
'^"Ceived from this distinguished naturalist a valuable 
^"iniunication, from which the following extract is 
Srte ; “ Both the darters I esteem as but one sjiecies. 
I liave now by me a drawing of the male, or black- 
*"*licd, only, but have had specimens of both at the 
time. I remember that the upper parts of the 
IftOale were similar to those of the male, except that 
) '* colour and markings were not so pure and distinct; 
f"''!;th, thirty-six inches, extent, forty-six. These birds 
‘'"'inent the ponds, rivers, and creeks, during the 
'""'nier ; build in the trees of the swamps, and those 
tt'e islands in the ponds ; they construct their nests 
""."ticks ; eggs of a sky blue colour. I inspected a nest, 
l^!**ich was”uot very large ; it contained two eggs and 
young ones, the latter varying much iu size ; they 
This article was written by Mr Old. 
