376 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I50 



JACANA JACANA HYPOMELAENA (Gray): Wattled Jajana; Gallito de 



Agua Barbudo 



Figure 64 



Parra hypomelaena G. R. Gray, Gen. Birds, vol. 3, May 1846, pi. 159. (Bogota, 

 Colombia.) 



Similar to the northern jagana in general form, but head, neck, 

 back, and abdomen black. 



Description. — Length 210 to 230 mm. ; frontal plate with two 

 lobes ; a distinct lappet on either side of the mouth at the gape. Adult 

 (sexes alike, except in size), wings as in the northern jaqana; entire 

 body and under wing coverts, in most black. Some show a tinge of 

 chestnut on the back, and in a very few this color is sufficiently strong 

 to suggest the markings of the other species. 



Immature, crown and back dark brown ; side of head, neck, upper 

 back, and sides extensively black, often with a mixture of black on 

 the wing coverts ; rump and upper tail coverts black. 



Iris dark brown; base of the maxilla, frontal plate, and rictal 

 lappets rather dull red ; rest of bill cinnamon to yellow, tinged with 

 slate at the tip ; tarsus deep neutral gray, with a tinge of green on 

 the posterior face of the crus ; toes and claws dusl<y brown. 



Measurements. — Males (8 from Panama), wing 115.5-120.1 

 (117.6), tail 36.3-42.4 (38.8), bill from nostril 17.4-19.4 (18.3), 

 tarsus 53.4-56.8 (55.1) mm. 



Females (9 from Panama), wing 127.0-134.8 (130.7), tail 40.2- 

 44.8 (42.4), bill from nostril 18.5-20.8 (19.7), tarsus 54.8-64.1 (58.7) 

 mm. 



Resident. Common in the tropical zone along lowland rivers and 

 in fresh-water marshes from eastern Chiriqui (Las Lajas, Remedios), 

 the Rio Indio in extreme northern Code (El Uracillo), and western 

 Colon (Chilar and Rio Indio) to Colombia. Casual on Isla Coiba. 



It is probable that these birds will be found to range much farther 

 west along the rivers of the Caribbean lowlands when field studies 

 have been made in the area from the Valiente Peninsula in Bocas del 

 Toro through northern Veraguas. 



The wattled jagana, like the northern species, primarily is a bird of 

 fresh-water marshes and the borders of the larger lowland streams 

 where shores, bays, and side channels are lined with water-lilies, 

 pondweeds, and other floating aquatic plants. As the small body is 

 light in weight the long toes afford a broad support so that the bird, 

 with nodding head, walks about with ease. Where the plant growth 



