Oriental Darter

SCI Name:  Anhinga melanogaster
Protonym:  Anhinga melanogaster Indn.Zool. p.13 pl.12
Taxonomy:  Suliformes / Anhingidae / Anhinga
Taxonomy Code:  darter2
Type Locality:  Ceylon and Java.
Author:  Pennant
Publish Year:  1769
IUCN Status:  Near Threatened

DEFINITIONS

ANHINGA
(Anhingidae; Ϯ Anhinga A. anhinga) Tupí name Anhinga  little head, for an evil spirit of the forests, the devil bird; "Le genre de l'Anhinga.  ... Tous les Oiseaux de ce genre ont sur les bords du bec une dentelure fine & peu apparente. L'ongle du doigt du milieu des trois antérieurs est dentelé intérieurement comme une scie" (Brisson 1760): based on “Anhinga” of Marcgrave 1648, Jonston 1650, Willughby 1676, and Ray 1713, "Mergus longirostris" of Barrère 1741, "Mergus Americanus" of Barrère 1745, "Plancus Brasiliensis" of Klein 1750, and "Ptinx" of Moehring 1752; "Anhinga Brisson, Orn., 1, 1760, p. 60; 6, 1760, p. 476. Type, by tautonymy and monotypy, Anhinga [anhinga] Brisson = Plotus anhinga Linné." (Peters, 1931, I, p. 94).
Synon. Liptornis, Notoplotus, Plotus, Ptynx.

anhinga
Tupí name Anhinga  little head, for an evil spirit of the forests, the devil bird; "Habitat in America australi; more Serpentum, contracto prius longiore collo, ejaculatur rostrum in Pisces. Collum longum. Pedes breves digitis omnibus connexis. Caput tomentosum plumis minutissimis" (Linnaeus 1766); ex “Anhinga” of Marcgrave 1648, Willughby 1676, Ray 1713, and Brisson 1760 (Anhinga) (see Anhinga).

melanogaster / melanogastra / melanogastris / melanogastrus
Gr. μελας melas, μελανος melanos  black; γαστηρ gastēr, γαστρος gastros  belly.
● ex “Black-bellied Grosbeak” of Latham 1783 (syn. Euplectes afer).