rapidly, but continue of the same dark-brown colour, and so remain
until they are able to fly, when they leave the nest, although they
still present a singular motley appearance, the breast and back being
buff-coloured, while the wings and tail are nearly black. After the
feathers of the wings and tail are nearly fully developed, those of
the sides of the body and breast become visible through the down,
and the bird appears more curiously mottled than before. The young
male now assumes the colour of the adult female, which it retains
until the beginning of October, when the breast becomes streaked with
dusky; white spots shew themselves on the back, the black of which
becomes more intense, and the crimpings on the two middle feathers of
the tail, which have been more or less apparent from the first, are
now perfect. By the middle of February, the male is in full plumage,
but the eyes have not yet acquired their full colour, being only of a
dull reddish-orange. In this respect also two differences are observed
between the Anhinga and the Cormorants. The first is the rapid progress
of the Anhinga towards maturity of plumage, the other the retaining
of its complete dress through the whole of its life, no change taking
place in its colours at each successive moult. The Cormorants, on the
contrary, take three or four years to attain their full dress of the
love season, which lasts only during that period of excitement. The
progress of the plumage in the female Anhinga is as rapid as in the
male, and the tints also remain unaltered through each successive
moult.
Like all other carnivorous and piscivorous birds, the Anhinga can
remain days and nights without food, apparently without being much
incommoded. When overtaken on being wounded, and especially if brought
to the ground, it seems to regard its enemies without fear. On several
occasions of this kind, I have seen it watch my approach, or that of
my dog, standing as erect as it could under the pain of its wounds,
with its head drawn back, its bill open, and its throat swelled with
anger until, when at a sure distance, it would dart its head forward
and give a severe wound. One which had thus struck at my dog’s nose,
hung to it until dragged to my feet over a space of thirty paces. When
seized by the neck, they scratch severely with their sharp claws, and
beat their wings about you with much more vigour than you would suppose
they could possess. Having witnessed the singular means employed by
this bird in making its escape on sudden emergencies, I will here
relate an instance, which evinces a kind of reason. Whilst ascending
the St John’s river in East Florida, along with Captain PIERCY of the
U. S. Navy, our boat was rowed into a circular basin of clear shallow
water, having a sandy bottom; such places being found occasionally
in that country, produced by the flowing of springs from the more
elevated sandy parts into the muddy rivers and lakes. We entered the
cove by passing between the branches of low trees, overhung by others
of great height. The first object that attracted my attention was a
female Anhinga perched on the opposite side of the cove, and, as I did
not wish that it should be shot, we merely advanced towards it, when
it began to throw its head about, and watch our motions. The place
was small, and the enclosing trees high. Though it might have flown
upwards and escaped, it remained perched, but evidently perturbed and
apprehensive of danger. When the boat was at a short distance, however,
it suddenly threw itself backward, cutting a somerset as it were, and,
covered by the branches, darted straight through the tangled forest,
and was soon out of sight. Never before nor since have I seen or heard
of Anhingas flying through the woods.
For the following description of the Snake-bird’s breeding grounds,
a few miles distant from Charleston in South Carolina, I am indebted
to my friend JOHN BACHMAN:—“On the 28th of June 1837, accompanied by
Dr WILSON, Dr DRAYTON, and WILLIAM RAMSAY, Esq., I went to Chisholm
Pond, about seven miles from the city, for the purpose of seeing the
Anhingas while breeding. The day was fine, and in about an hour our
horses brought us to the margin of the swamp. We soon discovered a
bird flying over us, and making for the upper part of the pond toward
a retired place, rendered almost inaccessible in consequence of its
being a morass overgrown with vines and rushes. As there was no other
way of examining their locality but by water, we hauled ashore a small
leaky canoe which we found in the pond, caulked it in the best manner
we could, so as to render it not unsafe, although after all we could
do to it, we found it still very leaky. It proved uncomfortable enough,
and could hold only two persons. So it was agreed that I should proceed
in it, accompanied by a servant, who understood well how to paddle it.
“The pond is artificial, and such as in this country is called a
“Reserve.” It is situated at the upper part of rice fields, and is
intended to preserve water sufficient, when needed, to irrigate and
overflow the rice. It is studded with small islands, covered by a thick
growth of a small species of Laurel (_Laurus geniculata_) and the Black
Willow (_Salix nigra_), all entangled by various species of Smilax
and other plants. These were at the time covered with Herons’ nests of
several kinds. Farther on the Night Herons also had formed a city. As
I proceeded onwards in my search I found the difficulties increasing.
The water became shallow, the mire deeper and softer, and the boat
required the best of management to be propelled along, for now it was
retarded by rushes and vines. Enormous live oaks and cypress trees
reared their majestic branches towards the pure sky above, covered as
they were with dangling masses of Spanish moss, reaching to the very
surface of the water, and turning day into night. Alligators of great
size wallowed in the mire, or were heard to plunge into it, from the
many logs which ever and anon intercepted my progress, while terrapins,
snakes, and other reptiles swarmed around. My situation was thus not
altogether so very pleasant, and the less so as it was necessary for
me to destroy as many musquitoes as possible, and guard against being
upset in such a truly “dismal swamp.” We moved extremely slowly, yet
advanced, and at last, having reached an open space where the trees
were of small size and height, I espied the nest of the Anhinga before
me! The female was sitting on it, but on our coming nearer she raised
herself by her bill to a branch about one foot above, and there stood
with outstretched neck, like a statue. It was cruel thus to disturb her
in her own peaceful solitude; but naturalists, alas! seldom consider
this long, when the object of their pursuit is in their view and almost
within their grasp. Being now within twenty yards of the innocent
and interesting creature, I pointed my short rifle towards her, and
immediately fired; but the unsteadiness of the canoe, and perhaps that
of a hand not accustomed to this weapon, saved her life. She remained
in her statue-like posture, the rifle was reloaded, and thrice fired,
without touching her; but at last a bullet having cut through the
branch on which she stood, she spread her dark pinions, and launching
into the air, was soon beyond the reach of my eyes, and I trust of
further danger.”
The same kind friend having procured eggs and young of this interesting
bird, I will present you with his observations respecting them. He
writes thus:—“I brought home three young Snake-birds, two of which I
immediately undertook to raise and domesticate, entrusting the third to
the care of one of our mutual friends. I found no difficulty in rearing
one of them. The other, by neglect of my servant, died a few weeks
afterwards, during a short personal absence. Whilst these two birds
were yet in the same cage, it was curious indeed to see the smaller
one when hungry incessantly trying to force its bill into the mouth and
throat of the other, which, after being thus teased for a short time,
would open its mouth to suffer the little one to thrust its whole head
down the throat of its brother, from which it would receive the fish
that the latter had previously swallowed. In this singular manner did
the larger bird, which after awhile proved to be a male, continue to
act as if the foster-parent of his little sister, which indeed seemed
to be thrown upon his protection. The one still in my possession is
fed on fish, which it picks up, tosses a few times in the air, and
swallows at the first convenient opportunity, that is when the fish
falls towards its mouth head foremost. At the onset, when the fish was
large, I had it cut into pieces, thinking that the apparent slenderness
of the bird’s neck could not expand enough to swallow it whole; but I
soon ascertained that this was unnecessary. Fish three times the size
of the neck were tossed in the expanded jaws and gobbled at once, and
immediately after, the bird would come to my feet, clicking its bill
in such an unequivocal manner that I never failed to give it more. My
pet was tame from the beginning of its captivity, and followed me about
the house, the yard, and garden, until I thought it quite troublesome
in consequence of its peculiar attachment to me. The one given to our
friend was fed on fish and raw beef; but although it grew to its full
size, never seemed to thrive as well as the one I had, and finally
died of an affection causing spasms. This was a female, and although
less bright in colour than the adult of the same sex, the two middle
feathers of her tail were partially crimped, and her markings were
the same. While in the young state I frequently carried it to a pond,
believing that it would relish the water, and would improve in health;
but I invariably found it to scramble towards the shore as soon as
possible, as if dreading the element in which it was by nature destined
to live. When thrown into the pond, it usually dived at once, but
the next instant arose to the surface, and swam with all the buoyancy
of a common duck. It is a fearless bird, keeping at bay the hens and
turkeys in the yard, and never sparing any dog that chances to pass by
it, dealing blows right and left with its sharp bill, and occasionally
placing itself at the trough where they are fed, to prevent them from
taking a morsel of food till he has tantalized them sufficiently, when
he leaves them to share whatever he does not himself relish.
“It was not until my bird was fully fledged that I found it willing
or anxious to go to the water, and then, whenever it saw me go toward
the pond, it accompanied me as far as the gate of the garden, seeming
to say “Pray let me go.” On my opening this gate, it at once followed
me waddling along like a duck, and no sooner was it in sight of its
favourite element than it immediately let itself in, not with a plunge
or a dive, but by dropping from a plank into the stream, where for a
while it would swim like a duck, then, dipping its long neck, it would
dive for the purpose of procuring fish. The water was clear enough to
enable me to see all its movements, and after many various windings it
would emerge at the distance of forty or fifty yards. This bird sleeps
in the open air during warm nights, perched on the highest bar of the
fence, with its head under its wings, placed there from above its back,
and in rainy weather it often sits in the same position for nearly the
whole day. It appears to be very susceptible of cold, retreating to
the kitchen and near the fire, battling with the dogs or the cooks for
the most comfortable place on the hearth. Whenever the sun shines, it
spreads its wings and tail, rustles its feathers, and seems delighted
with our warmest sunny days. When walking and occasionally hopping, it
does not support itself by the tail, as Cormorants sometimes do. When
fishes are presented to it, it seizes and swallows them greedily; but
when these cannot be procured, we are forced to feed it on meat, when
it opens its mouth, and receives the food placed in it. Occasionally
it has spent several days without any food; but in those cases the
bird became very troublesome, harassing all around by its incessant
croakings, and giving blows to the servants, as if to remind them of
their neglect.
“Once it made its escape, and flew off about a quarter of a mile
into the pond. Some boys happening to be there in a canoe, the bird
approached them with open mouth, for it was hungry and wanted food.
They seeing such a strange creature pursuing them with a head somewhat
like that of a snake, took alarm and paddled for the shore; but my bird
followed in their wake, and landed as soon as they did. They now fled
to the house, where the Anhinga also arrived, and was recognised by
some members of the family, who sent it back to me; and I, to prevent
its farther escape or loss, clipped one of its wings.”
I saw the bird above mentioned at my friend’s house at Charleston
in the winter of 1836, when on my way to the Gulf of Mexico, and
had many opportunities of watching its habits. It was killed by a
beautiful retriever presented to me by the EARL OF DERBY, and its death
occasioned sorrow both to my friend and myself, as he had given it to
me for the purpose of being sent to that nobleman.
Ever since I have been acquainted with the Anhinga, I have thought that
in form and habits it is intimately connected with the Cormorants,
and was induced to compare their manners. In some respects I found
them similar, in others different; but when I discovered that all
these birds possess a remarkable peculiarity in the structure of their
feathers, I thought that their generic affinity could not be denied.
The Anhinga has its body and neck covered with what I would call
_fibrous_ feathers, having a very slender shaft; while its quills and
tail-feathers are _compact_, that is, perfect in structure, strong, and
elastic. Now the shafts of all these latter feathers are _tubular from
their bases to their very extremities_, which, in so far as I know,
is not the case in any other bird, excepting the Cormorants. They are
all very elastic, like those in the tails of our largest Woodpeckers,
the shafts of which, however, are filled with a spongy pith, as in all
other land-birds, and in all the aquatic species which I have examined,
including Divers and Grebes, as well as _Plungers_, such as Gannets,
Kings-fishers, and Fishing Hawks. The quills and tail-feathers of the
Cormorants and Anhinga, in short, have the barrel as in other birds,
but the shaft _hollow, even to the tip, its walls being transparent,
and of the same nature as the barrel_.
WILSON, who, it is acknowledged, made his figures from stuffed
specimens in the Philadelphia Museum, had no positive proof that
the bird which he took for a female was one, for he had not seen
the Anhinga alive or recently killed. Even his continuator, Mr ORD,
procured only males during his visit to the Floridas. But the female
which I have represented was proved to be of that sex by dissection,
and was examined by myself nineteen years ago near Bayou Sara. Since
that time I have had numerous opportunities of satisfying myself as to
this point, by examining birds in various stages.
The substances which I have found in many individuals of this species
were fishes of various kinds, aquatic insects, crays, leeches, shrimps,
tadpoles, eggs of frogs, water-lizards, young alligators, water-snakes,
and small terrapins. I never observed any sand or gravel in the
stomach. On some occasions I found it distended to the utmost, and,
as I have already stated, the bird has great powers of digestion. Its
excrements are voided in a liquid state, and squirted to a considerable
distance, as in Cormorants, Hawks, and all birds of prey.
The flesh of the Anhinga, after the bird is grown, is dark, firm, oily,
and unfit for food, with the exception of the smaller pectoral muscles
of the female, which are white and delicate. The crimpings of the two
middle tail-feathers become more deeply marked during the breeding
season, especially in the male. When young, the female shews them only
in a slight degree, and never has them so decided as the male.
PLOTUS ANHINGA, _Linn._ Syst. Nat., vol. i. p. 218.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith., vol. ii. p. 895.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of
Birds of the United States, p. 411.
PLOTUS MELANOGASTER, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 895.
BLACK-BELLIED DARTER, PLOTUS MELANOGASTER, _Wils._ Amer.
Ornith., vol. ix. p. 75. pl. 74, fig. 1. adult, and p. 82.
pl. 74, fig. 2. young.
BLACK-BELLIED DARTER, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 507.
Adult male. Plate CCCXVI. Fig. 1.
Bill about twice the length of the head, almost straight, being very
slightly recurved, rather slender, compressed, tapering to a fine
point. Upper mandible with the dorsal outline slightly declinate,
and almost straight, being however somewhat convex, the ridge convex,
gradually narrowed, the sides sloping, the edges sharp, and beyond the
middle cut into minute slender-pointed serratures, which are directed
backwards; the tips very slender. Lower mandible with the angle very
long and narrow, the dorsal line beyond it straight and ascending,
the sides sloping slightly outwards, the edges sharp and serrated like
those of the upper, the point extremely narrow; the gape line slightly
ascending towards the end. No external nostrils.
Head very small, oblong. Neck very long and slender. Body elongated
and slender. Feet very short and stout. Tibia feathered to the joint.
Tarsus very short, roundish, reticulated all over, the scales on
the hind part extremely small. Toes all connected by webs; the first
of moderate length, the second much longer, the fourth longest and
slightly margined externally; the first toe and the first phalanges of
the rest, covered above with transverse series of scales, the rest of
their extent scutellate. Claws rather large, very strong, compressed,
curved, very acute; the outer smallest, the third longest, with a deep
groove on the inner side, and a narrow thin edge, cut with parallel
slits; those of the first and second toes nearly equal.
There is a bare space at the base of the upper mandible, including
the eye; the skin of the throat is bare and dilated, like that of the
Cormorants. The plumage of the head, neck, and body, is close, blended,
and of a silky texture; the feathers oblong, rounded, with the filament
disunited toward the end. On each side of the neck, from near the eye
to half its length, is a series of elongated narrow loose feathers, a
few of which are also dispersed over the back of the neck, and which in
the breeding season are an inch and a quarter in length. The scapulars,
which are very numerous, are elongated, lanceolate, tapering to a
point, compact, stiffish, elastic, highly glossed, gradually increasing
in size backwards, the outer web of the largest, crimped. Wings of
moderate length and breadth; primaries strong, firm, considerably
curved, the third longest, the second almost as long, the first a
little shorter than the fourth; the second, third, and fourth cut out
on the outer web. Secondaries a little decurved, broad, rounded and
acuminate; the inner elongated, straightish, acuminate, and resembling
the posterior scapulars. Tail very long, narrow, of twelve straight
feathers having strong shafts, and increasing in breadth from the base
to the end, which is rounded and very broad, the two middle feathers
have their outer webs curiously marked with transverse alternate ridges
and depressions.
Upper mandible dusky olive, the edges yellow; lower mandible bright
yellow, the edges and tips greenish; bare space about the eye
bluish-green; gular sac bright orange. Iris bright carmine. Tarsi and
toes anteriorly dusky olive, the hind parts and webs yellow; claws
brownish-black. The general colour of the head, neck, and body, is
glossy blackish-green; of the scapulars, wings, and tail, glossy
bluish-black. The long loose feathers on the neck are purplish-white
or pale lilac. The lower part of the neck behind is marked with very
numerous minute oblong spots of white; which form two broad bands
extending backwards, and gradually becoming more elongated, there
being one along the centre of each feather including the scapulars.
The smaller wing-coverts are similarly marked with broader white spots
disposed in regular rows; the four last of which have merely a central
line towards the tip, while the inner has a broad band extending from
near the base over the outer half of the inner web, and towards the end
including a portion of the outer web; the first row of small coverts,
and the secondary coverts are white excepting the portion of the inner
web. The five inner elongated secondaries are marked with a narrow
white band, occupying the inner half of the outer web, from about an
inch from their base to the extremity, near which it includes a part
of the inner web. The tail-feathers tipped with a band of brownish-red,
fading into white.
Length to end of tail 35-3/4 inches, to end of wings 30-1/4, to end of
claws 28-1/2, to carpus 17-1/2; extent of wings 44; wing from flexure
14; tail 11-1/2; bill along the ridge 3-1/4, along the edge of lower
mandible 3-10/12; tarsus 1-4/12; hind toe 11/12, its claw 6/12; second
toe 1-9/12, its claw (5-1/2)/12; third toe 2-5/12, its claw 8/12;
fourth toe 2-(4-1/2)/12, its claw (5-3/4)/12. Weight 3-1/4 lb.
Adult Female. Plate CCCXVI. Fig. 2. The female has the plumage similar
in texture to that of the male, but only a few inconspicuous elongated
feathers on the neck. The bill is lighter than in the male, the naked
part around the eye darker, the eye and gular sac as in the male; as
are the feet. The upper part of the head and the hind neck are dull
greenish-brown, lighter at the lower part, the fore part of the neck
is pale reddish-brown, tinged with grey, lighter on the throat; this
colour extends over part of the breast, an inch and a half beyond the
carpal joint, and terminates abruptly in a transverse band of deep
reddish-chestnut; the rest of the lower parts as in the male, as are
the upper, only the fore part of the back is tinged with brown, and its
spots less distinct.
Length to end of tail 34 inches, to end of wings 29-1/4, to end of
claws 27-1/2; to carpal joint 16-1/4; extent of wings 43. Weight 2 lb.
15 oz.
In external appearance and habits, the Snake-bird is very nearly allied
to the Cormorants. The structure of the feet is essentially the same in
both genera, as is that of the wings and tail, the latter however being
more elongated in the Anhinga, in correspondence with the neck. If one
might suppose a small Cormorant elongated and attenuated, with the feet
rather enlarged but shortened, the head diminished in size, and the
bill formed more on the model of that of a Heron, being destitute of
the distinct ridge and curved unguis, he would form a pretty correct
notion of this bird. Not only is the bill like that of a Heron, but the
vertebræ of the neck are very similar to those of that family, and form
the same abrupt curvatures between the seventh and eighth vertebræ.
But all the other bones are those of the Cormorants and Pelicans.
The sternum in particular is almost precisely similar to that of the
Crested Cormorant, so that without entering very minutely into its
description, no differences could be pointed out.
Both mandibles are concave within; the palate flat, with two
longitudinal ridges; the posterior aperture of the nares linear
and 9 twelfths long, the anterior or external aperture _entirely
obliterated_. The lower mandible has a distinct oblique joint at about
a third of its length, enabling it to be expanded to the extent of an
inch and a half. The pouch, which is small, is constructed in the same
manner as that of the Pelicans and Cormorants; its muscular fibres
running from the lower edge of the mandible downwards and backwards,
and a slender muscle passing from the anterior part of the hyoid bone
to the junction of the crura of the mandible. The tongue is reduced
to a mere oblong knob, 1-1/2 twelfth long, and 1/2 twelfth in height.
The aperture of the glottis is 3 twelfths long, with two roundish
thin edged flaps behind, destitute of papillæ. There is a small
bone appended to the occipital ridge, 1/4 inch in length, as in the
Cormorants.