198 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
inland round some of the larger tanks. A resident in suitable 
localities on the plains of India east of the Indus and in Burma. 
Habits —Those of the genus. In Ceylon this species haunts 
sand banks near the sea, or the sandy shores of inland tanks ; 
in India it is mainly found on the sandy beds of large rivers. 
With us it breeds about April. Two eggs from Minneri were 
laid on bare gravelly sand under the shade of a small plant. 
Clutches in India vary from 2 to 4. The ground colour is pale 
brownish-buff, rather sparingly speckled with pale gray- 
purple and light umber. The average of my two Ceylon 
eggs is 1:02 by ‘81. 
Family Parrip2. 
The Jacanas. 
Genus Hydrophasianus. 
A family with only one representative in Ceylon, though 
other genera are met with all over the tropics. They are 
marsh birds, distinguishable by their feet ; all the toes, including 
the hind toe, being enormously long, and furnished with 
equally long claws, thus enabling the bird to run easily over 
floating water leaves. The bill is plover-like. 
In the genus Hydrophasianus, of which our Water Pheasant 
is the sole species, the first wing quill is elongated into a 
curious little lance-shaped tip connected with the rest of the 
feather by a slender and flexible shaft. 
The shape of the fourth quill is also peculiar, running into 
a point. The genus is further noticeable from the fact that 
in the breeding season both sexes assume a nuptial plumage 
with longer tail feathers, and develop a strong sharp spur on 
the bend of the wing. 
HyYDROPHASIANUS CHIRURGUS (Blanford, Vol. IV., p. 219; 
Legge, p. 914). 
The Pheasant-tailed Jacana or Water Pheasant. 
Description Winter : Upper plumage in general brown, 
darker on the lower back and rump, and speckled with white 
on the forehead and crown; a white stripe on the lores and 
above the eye ; behind the eye this stripe becomes a broaden- 
ing band of yellowish-brown running down the side of the 
