196 Mr. H. Dumford on the Birds of 



119. Aramus scolopaceus (Gm.) ; Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 

 1869, p. 161. 



Resident and common in marshes amongst reeds. It has 

 a heavy laborious flight, performed by slow beats of the wings, 

 which it sometimes raises so high as nearly to meet over its 

 back. It has a loud harsh note, very like the crying of a 

 child. On the 30th July I found a nest containing six eggs. 

 It was a large structure of reeds, nearly three feet in diameter 

 and ten or twelve inches deep, and was placed amongst reeds 

 about a foot above the water ; it was lined with smaller reeds, 

 a slight depression in the centre receiving the eggs. I saw 

 the old bird standing on the edge of the nest. The eggs have 

 a stone-coloured ground-colour, slightly polished and thickly 

 streaked and speckled with light and dark rufous brown, the 

 markings being chiefly on the larger end, but varying much 

 in intensity in diff'erent examples ; they measure 2'5 x 1"8. 



120. Parra jacana (Linn.) ; Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 1868, 

 p. 145. 



I believe, very generally distributed, though I have only 

 observed it twice. It is graceful in its movements on the 

 ground ; its extremely long feet and claws enable it to walk 

 without difficulty on floating aquatic plants, where it is gene- 

 rally found feeding on small insects, which it takes from the 

 surface. It is a slow and awkward flier, its long legs, which 

 it trails behind it, being a considerable hindrance. Its food 

 consists of minute mollusks and aquatic insects. Iris wood- 

 brown ; beak orange ; legs olivaceous. 



121. Vanellus cayennensis (Gm.) ; Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 

 1869, p. 162. 



The ubiquitous " Tero-tero " is perhaps the best-known bird 

 in the country, being extremely common and generally dis- 

 tributed. In the winter it usually goes in flocks, and at that 

 season approaches close to towns. It probably has two, and 

 sometimes three, broods in the season. During the time of 

 courtship the male bird performs many strange antics to at- 

 tract the female, strutting around her with tail depressed and 

 expanded and holding his head as high as possible, the female 



