108 JACANAS 



Distribution. — Pacific coast of North America from the Aleutian Islands 

 to La Paz, Lower California, and the Kurile Islands ; breeding- throughout 

 most of its range. 



Il^ygs. — 1 to 3, laid on the bare rock, sand, or gravel ; light buff or olive, 

 spotted with brownish black and purplish gray. 



Mr. Loomis has taken black oyster-catchers on the Seal Rocks at 

 Monterey in July. They are said to be strictly littoral in their habits, 

 always flying over the sea when moving from point to point. 



FAMILY JACANIDiE: JACANAS. 



GENUS JACANA. 



[288.] Jacana spinosa (Linn.). Mexican Jacana. 



Toes very long and slender, hind claw straight and longer than toe ; 

 bend of wing armed with a sharp spur ; forehead covered by a leaf-like 

 scale from base of bill. Adults : head and neck greenish black ; wing 

 quills yellowish green edged or tipped with dusky ; rest of plumage rich 

 purplish chestnut. Young : with only a rudiment of frontal leaf ; back 

 olive gray, back of neck black ; rump brown ; under parts and stripe on 

 side of head white. Length: 8.50, wing 4.50-5.40, bill 1.15-1.40, tarsus 

 1.90-2.35. 



Distribution. — Middle America from southern Texas to Colombia ; 

 Cuba ; Hayti. 



LAND BIRDS. 



KEY TO FAMILIES. 



ORDER GALLINu^ : GROUSE, QUAIL, TURKEYS, 

 PHEASANTS, ETC. 



1. Hind toe short, raised above level of front ones. 



2. Leg with spur, head naked or tail vaulted, plumage 



largely metallic Phasianidae : 



Turkeys and Pheasants, p. 134. 



^— 2.' Leg without spur, head feathered, tail not vaulted, 



plumage not metallic Tetraonidae : 



Grouse, Partridges, Quails, etc., p. 113. 



Fig. 128. ' ' i- 



1'. Hind toe long, on a level with front ones Cracidae : 



Currassows and Guans, p. 137. 



ORDER COLUMB^: PIGEONS OR DOVES. 



J J-. ^\ Bill slender, nostril opening in soft fleshy skin or membrane. 

 '^-^^^^ i ColumbidaB': Pigeons, p. 138. 



Fig. 129. 



