American Anhinga Snake Bird [Plate 420]

Philadelphia: J.T. Bowen. unbound. very good. Octavo bird print. Lithograph with original hand coloring. Page measures 10 x 6 1/4 inches. Sometimes called snakebird, darter, American darter, or water turkey. It is a water bird of the warmer parts of the Americas. The word anhinga comes from the Brazilian Tupi language and means devil bird or snake bird. The origin of the name snakebird is apparent when swimming : only the colored neck appears above water so the bird looks like a snake ready to strike. First Royal Octavo edition, circa 1842. John James Audubon (1785-1851) was an American naturalist, painter and ornithologist who did extensive field work studying birds before painting them. Please visit our gallery for more Audubon prints. (Inventory #: 210850)