PARRID.E — THE JACANAS — PARRA. 177 



faint purple gloss, brightest or most rufescent on the wings, more purplish on the back, rump, 

 and upper tail-coverts, and of a rich dark purplish-maroon shade on the breast and sides ; anal 

 region, tibiae, and crissum duller and more graj'ish. Remiges (except the tertials) ])ale yellowish 

 pea-green, bordered terminally with dull dusky, this border very narrow, and strictly terminal on 

 the secondaries, but broader, ;ind iuv(jlving more or less of both edges of the quills on the primaries, 

 where it increases in extent to the outer quill, which has the entire outer web blackish ; alula.' and 

 jtrimary coverts dull blackish. Tail-feathers uniform rich chestnut. " Iris dark brown ; bill, alar 

 spurs, and frontal leaf, bright yellow ; upper base of bill bluish white, the space between it and 

 the nasal leaf bright carmine ; feet greenish." ^ 



Young: Frontal leaf rudimentary. Pileum grayish brown, bordered on each side by a wide 

 and conspicuous superciliary stripe of bufty white, extending to the occiput ; below this stripe, 

 another narrower one of black or dusky, lieginning at the posterior angle of the eye and extending 

 along the up]ier edge of the auriculars to the nape, which is also of this color ; remainder of the 

 head, with the entire lower parts, except the sides, continuous butfy white, more strongly tinged 

 with buff across the jugulum. Upper parts in general (except the remiges) light grayish brown, 

 the feathers bordered terminally with rusty butf in the younger stage, but uniform in older indi- 

 viduals ; rump more or less tinged with chestnut. Sides and lining of the wing dusky black, but 

 in older examples more or less tinged with chestnut. Remiges as in the adult ; rectrices grayish 

 brown. 



The downy young is unknown, or at least I have been unable to find any description. 



In the considerable series of specimens of this species contained in the collection of the National 

 Museum, notable variations in size and proportions occur among specimens of the same age and 

 sex, but apparently without regard to locality. Cuban specimens do not differ in the least, so far 

 as 1 can see, from Mexican and Central American examples. 



The present species of Jacaua was met Avith by Dr. James C. Merrill near Fort 

 Brown, in Southeastern Texas, early in August, 187(3. He saw it on two occa- 

 sions, on the first of which he had not the means of procuring a specimen, and on the 

 second was unable to obtain the bird he had shot. Very little is knoAvn as to the- 

 manners and habits of this peculiar family. In its characteristics it seems to com- 

 bine very many of the characteristics of the Eails and the Plovers ; and it may be 

 that its manner of life also partakes of the habits of the two forms so distinct from 

 each other. This species is a common bird of Mexico, probably of a small portion of 

 Xorthern South America, Central America to Panama, and Cuba, and perhaps other 

 West India Islands. 



This species was taken by Sumichrast in Southwestern Mexico, at Santa Efigenia 

 and Zonatepec, in March and April. A set of four eggs of this species, from Cuba, 

 measure 1.22 by .98 ; 1.20 by 1.00 ; 1.21 by 1.00 ; 1.15 by .94. They are of a 

 rounded oval shape, have a ground color of bright drab, and are strikingly marbled 

 over the entire surface with an intersecting net-Avork of black or very dark-brown 

 waving stripes, blotches, and lines. These markings curve and wind in various ways, 

 always in rounded, never in angular, turns, and the eggs present a very pectiliar, un- 

 mistakable, and characteristic appearance. 



1 Sumichrast, US.,Jide Lawr., Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 4, 1876, p. 60. 



VOL. I. — 23 



