342 PARRIDA. 
2. Parra nigra. 
Parra nigra, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 708’; Salvad. & Festa, Boll. Mus. Zool. Torino, xiv. no. 339, 
p- 12 (1899) *. < 
Parra hypomelena, Gray, Gen. Birds, iii. p. 589, t. 159°; Scl. P. Z.S. 1856, pp. 143 *, 283° ; 
Cass. Pr. Acad. Philad. 1860, p. 196°; Salv. P. Z. S. 1870, p. 2187. 
Jacana nigra, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 84°; Bangs, Proc. N. Engl. Zool. Club, ii. 
p- 14°. 
P. melanopygie similis, sed noteo omnino viridi-nigro ; corpore subtus quoque eum subalaribus viridi-nigris. 
Long. tota circa 8-2, ale 5-2, eaude 1°75, culm. 1:3, tarsi 2°4. (Descr. av. adult. ex Calobre, Veragua. 
Mus. nostr.) 
Juv. av. juv. P. melanopygie similis. 
Hab. Panama, David (Bridges 4°), Calobre (Arce 78), Lion Hill Station (A/‘Leannan 8, 
Brown °), Laguna de Pita (Festa ?).—CotomBia §; VENEZUELA ®; AMAZONIA ®. 
This species is easily recognized by its greenish-black upper surface, with the 
innermost secondaries of the same colour as the back. Im a few specimens a slight 
shade of purplish-brown or chestnut can be detected on the back, but the under 
surface of the body, including the under wing-coverts, is entirely black. 
It ranges from Upper Amazonia to Colombia, entering our region in the State of 
Panama. Mr. W. 8. Wood says that he noticed the species in open marshy places on 
the Rio Atrato late in December, 1857. It was shy and watchful, and two or three 
individuals were generally seen together on the ground, stretching out their wings, 
and often wading in the water. 
ASARCIA. 
Asarcia, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 86 (1896). 
Asarcia differs from the foregoing genus in having no pendent lappet at the angle of 
the mouth, and the leaf-like lappet on the forehead has a double indentation behind. 
A single species is known, which bears a great resemblance to Parra melanopygia. 
It is found only in Central America and the Greater Antilles. 
¥ 1. Asarcia variabilis. 
Parra variabilis, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 260°. 
Asarcia variabilis, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 86%; Bangs, Auk, 1901, p. 358°. 
Parra gymnostoma, Wagler, Isis, 1831, p. 517°; Scl. P.Z.S. 1856, p. 283°; 1857, p. 206°; 
1858, p. 860"; 1859, p. 893°; Moore, P.Z.S. 1859, p. 64°; Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, 
p. 231°; Taylor, Ibis, 1860, p. 814"; Lawr. Ann. Lyc. N. Y. viii. p. 184; Mem. Bost. 
Soc. N. H. ii. p. 312%; Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p.50™; v. Frantz. J. f. Orn. 1869, 
p. 875"; Salv. Ibis, 1870, p. 116"; P.Z.S. 1883, p. 428°"; Ibis, 1889, p. 879° ; 1890, 
p. 89"; Finsch, Abh. naturw. Ver. Bremen, 1870, p. 363” ; Sumichr. La Nat. v. p. 229”; 
Nutting, Pr. U.S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 409”; vi. pp. 890”, 396; Boucard, P. Z. 8. 1883, 
p. 462”, 
