The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-12
A Rare Bird Taken Near Wilmington
Chapel Hill, n. c., July 4.

AoP A1Aif
Editor Messenger:
While on a recent collecting trip in
the region of Wilmington | was for
tunate enough to secure d specimen
which is perhaps the rarest form of
North Carolina bird life added of late
to the state collections in the museum
at Raleigh.
In some sections of the world where
it is we'll known the bird bears the
name 'snakebird," in other localities
it has the toOthsOme appellatiOn of
water turky,' While to the scientist
who usually insists on giving every
object a name of his own it is known
as the american anhinga.' Perhaps
however, the bird gained its widest
notoriety under the name "whang-
doodle" which is often said to mourn
for it's first born"
The plumage of the anhinga is CLOS
sy black, with a greenish reflection.
Silvery spots and streaks adorn its
back and wing coverts. 1t is a queer
looking bird, three feet long, with
strong. heavy tail ten and a half in
neck lone and slender, feet stout and
webbed like a ducks. 1t is a great,
black, silent, odd-looking bird that
haunts the rivers and wooded lakes
of tropical and sub-trOpical America.
1t has not been know before to breed
along the Atlantic coast north Of
South Carolina.
The fOod of the anhinga consists of
fish, which it captures by pursuing I'M
der water like a loon or cormorant
When at rest after a fishing excursion
it usually occupies a perch over the
water, where it will sometimes sit for
an hour at a time with wings out
spread like some black rugged vessel
drying its sails. When alarmed the
bird often drops from it's perch into.
the element below, disappearing at
once beneath the surface. Sometimes,
while fishing, it may be observed
swimming about with body submerg-
ed and only head and neck visible
When seen on such occasions as this
one can readily guess how it came by
the name of snakebird.
In damming up a stream on the Or
ton plantation, some fifteen miles be-
low Wilmington, a pond was formed,
which extends back in the woods
among the higher ridges for several
miles. At the upper end of one of
these narrow tongues of water is To-
Gated a colony of some four or five
hundred pairs of herons, which each
year assemble in the small cypress
trees to build their nests and rear
their young.
While approaching his breeding
= oA I'm vi VI 0A'Sy - bNA oA
hinga was flushed from its nest in a
cypress tree about ten feet above the
water. The bird few rapidly away
for perhaps thirty rods, then turning,
came driving back overhead, only to
return shortly from the opposite di-
rection. At each approach it appear
I'd higher in the air, until at a con-
siderable altitude it began to circle
on motionless wings. AS it thus sail
ed far above the tree-topS, with spread
wings and tail, it appeared from the
boat below like a great ace of spades
swinging around through space.
The bird was secured by hiding near
alighted near The nest was a heavy
structure of sticks and twigs, lined
with gray moss. 1t contained -four
badly incubated egg pale blush in
color. but covered with a thick calcar-
ious layer, which could be removed by
the finger nail. They measure about
two and one-eighth inches in length
and one AND a third inches in width.
The above specimen has since been
mounted in the state museum, togeth-
er with the tree, nest and eggs.
1t would De interesting to learn to
just what extent the anhinga occurs
in the state, and I should be glad TO
hear from any one who may have OBJ
served, or who may at any time see
one of these odd and attractive birds.
T. GILBERT PEARSON.