176 



PR^COCIAL GRALLATORES — LIMICOL^. 



Char. Remiges normal ; rectrices much abbreviated, very soft, entb-ely concealed by tlie tail- 

 coverts; forehead with large leaf-like lobe, free laterally and posteriorly, adhering centrally and 

 anteriorly ; rictus ornamented by a smaller lobe (rudimentary in P. gymnostoma). 



The above characters are chiefly those which distinguish the American genus Parra from its 

 Old World allies H ijdrophasianus,^ AletojmJius,'^ and Hydrakc.tor.^ I am miable to state in just 

 what essential particulars the two latter differ from Farra, never having seen specimens of any 

 species of either form. The first, however, differs very widely in the great development of the 

 rectrices, of wlii<li tin- intermedia) are excessively elongated ; in the curious attenuation of the pri- 

 maries, which are, moreover, of very unequal length, and in the entire absence of lobes about the 

 base of the bill. These characters I have drawn from ligures of the single species, H. chiriirgus, 

 ScoPOLi, not having seen the bird itself. 



In addition to the generic characters given above, the following also may be mentioned : — 



Bill somewhat Plover-like in form, the basal half with the upper and lower outlines nearly 

 parallel and decidedly approximated, the terminal half of the culmen strongly convex, the gonys 

 nearly straight, and decidedly ascenuing terminally ; nostrils small, horizontal, elliptical, situated 

 about half-way between the anterior angle of the eye and the tip of the bill. Primaries ten, 

 reaching to the tips of the tertials, the three outer quills longest and nearly equal, their inner webs 

 slightly narrowed near the end. Tarsus and bare portion of the tibia covered by a continuous 

 frontal and posterior series of transverse scutella), these sometimes fused into continuous sheaths ; 

 middle toe (exclusive of its claw) about equal to the tarsus (sometimes a little shorter) ; outer toe 

 equal to the middle toe, but its claw a little shorter ; inner toe a little shorter than the outer, but 

 its claw considerably longer ; hallux about equal to the basal phalanx of the middle toe, but its 

 claw reaching nearly, if not quite, to the end of the middle toe. 



Parra gymnostoma. 



THE MEXICAN JACANA. 



Parra gymnostoma, "Wagl. Isis, 1831, 517. — Scl. & Salv. Xom. Neotr. 1873, 142. — Merrill, Bull. 

 Nutt. Orn. Chib, I. Nov. 1876, 88 (Fort Brown, Texas) ; Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. I. 1878, 167 

 (Fort Brown). — RiDGW. ib. (synonymy; descriptions); Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 568. — 

 CouES, Check List, 2d ed. 1882, no. 672. 



Parra cordifera. Less. Rev. Zool. 1842, 135 (Acapnlco). — Des Murs, Icon. Orn. pi. 42. 



Hab. The whole of Central America, from Panama to Noi tliern Mexico ; lower Rio Grande 

 Valley of Texas, at Fort Brown (Merrill, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. I. 1878, 167) ; Cuba. 



Sp. Char. Adult: Wing, 4.50-5.40 ; culmen, 1.15-1.40 ; tarsus, 1.90-2.35 ; middle toe, 1.85- 



2.25.'* Head, neck, jugulum, and extreme anterior portion of the back uniform black, with a faint 

 silky green gloss below. Rest of the plumage mainly uniform rich purplish chestnut, with a 



^ " Hijdro2)hasiamis, Wagl. 1832" (type, II. chirurgus, Scopoli). 



2 " Mctopodius, Wagl. 1832" (type, Parra africana, Lath., /ffc Gray). 



8 " Hydraledor, Wagl. 1832" (type, Parra cristata, ViEiLL.,^(fc Gray). 



* Extremes of thirteen examples. 



