JACANAS AND ALLIED SPECIES. 513 



uniform. The wings are short ; the cubitus shorter than the 

 humerus, in which respect these birds differ from those of all 

 the other families. The knob on the head of the metacarpus 

 generally compressed and rounded, but in the Jacanas 

 elongated and covered with horn ; the first finger has two 

 phalanges, the second a large metacarpal bone and two 

 phalanges, the third a slender metacarpal bone and one 

 phalanx, both however united to those of the second finger. 

 The pelvis is extremely narrow ; the sacrum distinct, as is 

 the pubes, which is linear. The os femoris is of moderate 

 size ; the tibia long ; the fibula about three-fourths of its 

 length; the tarsus rather short; the toes extremely long 

 and slender ; the first with a basal bone and two phalanges, 

 the second with three, the third with four, the fourth 

 with five. 



The Parrinse are generally distributed, some species being 

 found in every part of the globe, excepting the most frigid 

 regions. They reside among reeds, sedges, rushes, flags, or 

 other aquatic plants, or among grass or corn ; are peculiarly 

 fitted, by the extreme compression of their body, for making 

 their way among the herbage, and by the great length of 

 their toes and claws for supporting themselves upon the 

 stalks or blades of vegetables floating upon the water or 

 growing out of it. They all float lightly, and, with the 

 exception of a few species, swim with ease ; some of them 

 even move about in the exposed parts of rivers, lakes, and 

 inlets of the sea, proceeding with nearly as much speed as 

 Ducks or Grebes. They fly heavily, with their legs at first 

 dangling, and afterwards stretched out behind them. In 

 open places they run with considerable speed, and in their 

 ordinary walk advance in a sedate manner, raising their feet 

 high, and keeping their body nearly horizontal. 



Many of them have frontal plates or appendages of a 

 vascular tissue covered by the ordinary integument or by a 

 horny cuticle, and becoming more tumid and often more 

 highly-coloured in the breeding season. The nest is placed 

 among reeds or other thick herbage, and is of great size, 

 clumsily constructed of dry plants of various kinds, especially 

 graminese and cyperaceae. The eggs are numerous, from 



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