766 



S YSTEMA TIC S YNOPSIS. — LIMICOL^. 



base of upper mandible. A sharp homy spur ou bend of wing. Priuiaries 10, not peculiar; 

 outer 3 about equal and longest, overlaid by inner quills in closed wing. Tail very short, 

 with soft rectrices concealed by coverts. Tibiae bare belovr, and with the tarsus scutellate be- 

 fore and behind, the scutella tending to become confluent in a continuous sheath. All the 

 toes, claws included, longer than tarsus; middle toe alone nearly as long as tarsus ; outer toe 

 alone about as long as middle, its claw shorter than that of middle toe ; inner toe a little 

 shorter than outer, its claw longer ; hind toe only about as long as basal joint of middle toe, 

 but its claw much longer than itself; all the claws slender, about straight, very acute. The 



¥vi. 6\5.—Jacana jaeana, J nat. size. (From Brehm.) 



type of the genus is Parra jacana Linn, of South America, with bifid frontal flap and well 

 developed wattles as shown in fig. 515. Our species is type of the genus Asarcia Sharpe, 

 189G, with undeveloped wattles and the frontal flap trifid like a fleur-de-lis, accepted as sub- 

 genus by the A. O. U. Auk, Jan. 1897, p. 119. 



J. spino'sa. (Lat. spinous, referring to the spur on the wing. Fig. 53 ter.) Mexican JacanA. 

 Adult: General plumage rich purplish-chestnut, brightest on wings and tail, darkest on head, 

 neck, back, breast, and sides, fading on lower belly. Quills pale yellowish-green, with dusky 

 edging in increasing extent from secondaries to outermost primary ; alula and primary coverts 

 blackish. Bill and wing-spur yelhiw : frontal leaf orange ; base of upper mandible whitish, and 

 space between it and frontal leaf carmine ; feet greenish ; iris brown. Young: Grayish-brown 

 above, marked with brownish-yellow ; below, buffy-whitish, darker. across breast, sides and 

 lining of wings dusky ; a light superciliary and dusky postocular stripe ; wing-quills greenish- 



