62 
THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 
Zoological Gardens of London. For the sake of those who have not, we may say that the 
darter may be described as a long-necked cormorant, with somewhat lighter plumage. The 
head is small and flat, and armed with a pointed, dagger-like bill, whose edges are flnely 
toothed, with needle-like points projecting backwards. The neck is very long and slender; 
hence its name of Snake-neck. Furthermore, it is remarkable for a very strange “ kink,” 
formed by a peculiar arrangement of the neck-bones — an arrangement intimately associated 
with its peculiar method of capturing its prey, which, as with the cormorant, is pursued 
under water. How dexterously this is done may be seen any day in the Fish-house at the 
Zoological Gardens, where, as we have already mentioned, these birds are kept. At feeding- 
time they are turned loose into a large tank 
into which a number of small fish have 
been placed. The birds dive as soon as they 
reach the water, and with surprising speed 
chase their prey till within short range. 
Then, by a sudden bayonet-like lunge, made 
possible by the peculiar “ kink ” in the neck, 
a victim is transfixed, brought to the surface, 
released from the bill by a series of sudden 
jerks, tossed into the air, and dexterously 
caught and swallowed. 
The darter is found in Africa, India, 
the Malay region, Australia, and South 
America, frequenting the banks of rivers, 
lakes, and swamps, sometimes singly, some- 
times in pairs or in immense flocks. 
Very different from either of the fore- 
going species, both in build and coloration, 
is the Gannet. In its habits it is also 
different. The adult bird is about the size 
of a goose, white in colour, and armed with 
a powerful pointed bill. The young have a 
quite distinct plumage, being deep brown, 
speckled with white, this livery being worn 
for nearly three years. 
The greater part of a gannet’s lifetime 
seems to be spent upon the wing, a fact 
which implies a very different method of 
feeding from that followed by the cormorant 
and darter ; and this is actually the case. 
Preying upon shoals of herring, mackerel, 
sprats, or pilchards, the birds, flying singly 
or in flocks, as soon as the fish are discovered, 
rise, soar in circles to such a height as experience shows best calculated to carry them 
by a downward motion to the required depth, and then, partially closing the wings, plunge 
upon their prey, and rarely without success, the time which elapses between the plunge 
and the immersion being about fifteen seconds. A flock of gannets feeding is a really 
wonderful sight, and can be witnessed in many places around the British coasts, for the 
gannet is one of the very common British birds. The pilchard-fishermen off the Cornish 
coast learn when the shoals are at hand, and the direction in which they are travelling, 
by the actions of these birds. A very cruel experiment is sometimes practised upon the 
gannet, based upon its well-known method of fishing. A herring is tied to a beam and 
set adrift, and the bird, not noticing the trap, plunges with its usual velocity upon the 
Photo by Scholastic Photo. Co. 
CORMORANT 
In the spring a slight crest is defelopcd, and a nvhite patch appears on 
the thigh 
