PLOTUS NOV A=HOLLANDIA, Gow.

New Holland Darter.

Plotus Nove-Hollandia, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XV. p. 34.

 

Tur habitat of this singular bird, so far as we yet know, is confined to the colonies of South Australia and
New South Wales, where it is thinly but generally dispersed in all situations favourable to its habits; such
as the upper parts of armlets of the sea, the rivers of the interior, extensive water-holes and deep lagoons.
Shy and secluded in its habits, it usually takes up its abode in localities little frequented by man é seeks
its prey in the water, dives with the greatest ease to the bottom of the deepest pools, and is as active
in this element as can well be imagined. It ordinarily swims with a considerable portion of the body above
the surface, but upon being disturbed immediately sinks it below the water, leaving the head and neck only
to be seen, and which, from their form and the motion communicated to them by the action of swimming,
presents a close resemblance to those of a snake. Its food consists of fish, aquatic insects, newts, frogs, &c.
After feeding it perches on a snag of some fallen tree in the water, or on the naked branch of a tree in the
forest nigh to its haunts, often on one of the greatest height, where it sits motionless for hours together :
while thus perched it is much more easily approached and shot than on the water, where it is wary in the
extreme.

Much variation exists in the colouring of the sexes ; the female being, I believe, at all times distinguished
by her buffy white breast and neck, which parts in the male are black. Young birds for the first and pro-
bably for the second year are the same colour as the female.

The male has an arrow-head-shaped mark of white on the throat ; a broad stripe of the same colour com-
mences at the base of the mandibles, extends for about four inches down the sides of the neck, and termi1-
nates in a point; head, neck, and all the upper surface of the body greenish black, stained with brown, and
with deep rusty red on the centre of the under side of the throat; under surface deep glossy greenish
black ; wings and tail shining black ; all the coverts with a broad stripe of dull white occupying nearly the
whole of the outer and a part of the inner web, and terminating in a point 5 scapularies lanceolate in form,
with a similar shaped mark of white down the centre, and with black shafts, the scapular nearest the body
being nearly as large as the secondaries, and with the outer web crimped and the inner web with a broad
stripe of dull white close to the stem; the secondaries nearest the body with a similar white stripe close to
the stem on the outer web ; centre tail-feathers strongly, and the lateral ones slightly crimped ; orbits naked,
fleshy, protuberant and of a yellowish olive, mottled ove
dull orange-buff, to this succeeds another ring of marbled buff and brown, and to this
-buff; naked skin at the base of the lower mandible wrinkled and yellow; upper
both becoming brighter towards the base; feet yellowish flesh-

r with brown specks; next to the pupil of the eye

is a narrow ring of
an outer circle of orange
mandible olive, under mandible dull yellow,
colour, becoming brown on the upper part of the outer toes.

The female has the crown of the head, back of the neck and uppe
throat and all the under surface buffy white ; the remainder of the

r part of the back blackish brown, each

feather margined with greyish white ;
plumage like the male, but with the white
ornamented with a beautiful lacework of brown, the interstices being buff;
of the bill, and throat orange-yellow ; feet pale yellow.

The Plate represents the two sexes about two-thirds of the natural size.

marks on the wing-coverts larger and more conspicuous ; irides
orbits, naked skin at the base

tC hMallancadel Lite.

   

A owirkd and MA bachter ded sh lath,