PALAMEDEID.E. 



All 



SUB- FAMILY L 



Parrin.e. 



llie Jacanas. 



Gen. Charac. — Bill lengthenod, slender, with the culmen straight at the base 

 and vaulted at the tip, which is entire; the nasal groove long and narrow, 

 and the opening of the nostrils placed in the middle of the bill, small, and 

 oval ; the wings more or less long and pointed ; the tail generally short ; 

 the tarsi long and slender; the toes very long, slender, and armed with long 

 slender claws, especially the hind toe. 



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Fig. 18b.— the jacana. 

 (Parra Jacana.) 



These remarkably-footed birds are found in the 

 warmer parts of Asia, Africa, and America. They 

 frequent marshes and the sides of rivers and ponds, 

 generally in pairs or small flocks. Their shy and 

 timorous habits induce them, when alarmed, to dive 

 into the water, and skulk among the reeds and other 

 kinds of herbage : occasionally they seek safety by 

 a short flight. The remarkable length of their toes 



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