6i6 D A R T E R .
V ar. C.
RUFOUS D.
D e s c r i f t io k .
P lace.
3-
+- SURINAM Di
D bscrietïon.
Anhinga roux, Buf. Oif. viii. p. 453.
,---------- du Senegal. PI. Enl. 107*
C I Z E of the others; and differs from, them in having the
^ head, neck, and wing coverts, of a dirty rufous colour, and
dufky brown, mixed in ftreaks : the reft of the plumage
black. ^
This inhabits Africa, particularly Senegal; called there by the
name of Kandar.
Le Grèbe-foulque, Buf. Oif. viin“ p. 248.— PL Enl. 893*.
Oifeau de Soleil, Defcrip. Surin, ii. p. 192.
Surinam Tern, Brown Ulujlr. p. 98. pi. 39-
Br. Muf. Lev. Muf.
C I Z E of the 'Teat: length thirteen inches. The bill is one
^ inch and an eighth long,, and of a pale colour ; irides red ;
the crown of the head is black, and the feathers behind elongated
into a fmall creft : the head itfelf fmall : and the neck flender,
and long, in proportion to the body : the cheeks are of a bright
bay ; from the corner of each eye is a line of white ; the fides
and hind part of the neck longitudinally marked with lines of
black and white : wings, back, and tail, dufky brown ; the firft
pretty large, reaching to within one inch of the tail when clofed.
the tail is tipped with white, and is wedge fhaped : the upper
tail coverts remarkably long, giving the appearance of two tails,
one above another : breaft and belly white : legs fhort, and
j rather
m
D A R T E R . 627
rather flout: all the four toes joined together by a membrane:
the legs are of a pale dufky colour : and the toes are barred with
black.
This bird inhabits Surinam ; -and is chiefly feen on the fides Place and
of rivers and creeks,'feeding on fmall fijh, as well as infields, but Manners.
above all on flies, in the catching of which it is fo dexterous,
that it never mifies ftriking one with the hill (which is very
fharp) at the firft attempt. It is often domefticated by the inhabitants,
and known to them by the name of the Sun Bird. It
is very aftive, and the head and body faid to be continually in
motion. From the circumftance of its continually expanding
the tail and the wings both at the fame time, it has been
thought to refemble the Sun, according to the ideas of thofe who
have obferved it in this fituation, and has thereby gained the
name of the Sun Bird.
From attending to the fynonyms, we may obferve how different
the ideas of the authors have been who have mentioned
the bird; and, to fay the truth, it does not quite correfpond with
any genus; though it has the greateft fimilarity poflible to the
prefent, wherein we have, placed it. Dr. Forfter has given us
his opinion herein, as may be obferved in his Zoologia Indica *,
having obferved the connexion of the webs of all the four toes,
which in the compleat bird is fufficiently manifeft. A fecond
circumftance likewife determines the vicinity to this genus, which
is, the fudden darting of the bill on the obje£ts of its prey, as
the other Darters likewife are feen to do; yet the bird here
treated of differs in one refpedt; v iz. the not being hare on the
* P. *3. Note *.
4 L 2 fides