46 THE HOME-LIFE OF 



the bush-tops towards it. Ordinary as the proceeding 

 may sound, there are few birds capable of doing it. They 

 did not pass from branch to branch as a Parrot or Rook 

 might do, but simply walked with outstretched toes 

 over the thickest foliage en route, trusting that something 

 capable of supporting them would come within the area 

 of their enormous feet. It is a copy, adapted to arborial 

 life, of the methods the Brazilian Jacana uses to traverse 

 the floating leaves of aquatic vegetation. 



Until grown up they are a little nervous at starting 

 (Plate 3 1 a), and no wonder, for they rarely grasp any- 

 thing, their only foothold on the branches being effected 

 by the last phalanx and claw of each toe having a strong 

 hooking action (Plate 31B). Indeed, it is an impossibihty 

 for them to grasp any small branch firmly, for the first, 

 second and third phalanges are so long as to prevent the 

 foot closing on any but a large object. The left foot 

 in Figure 31 a shows this plainly, for it will be noticed 

 that it is only touching the branch on the top, the length 

 of the second phalanx preventing closure. The other 

 foot is being put tentatively forward, trying the ice, so 

 to speak, before entrusting its weight upon the branches. 



The enormous development of the toes, on which 

 account the bird has by some been placed in a genus by 

 itself, is well shown in both illustrations on Plate 31. 



During the thunder showers, which were of frequent 

 occurrence, the young, which appeared much to dislike 

 rain, adopted a most peculiar attitude. Sitting, 

 virtually on their tarsi, they huddled together in a ring 

 in the centre of the nest with their backs nearly vertical 

 and their shoulders touching, the long necks tucked 

 away inside, each under its owner's belly. It was a very 

 neat arrangement, the rain only falHng on their steeply 

 sloping backs was readily thrown off, while the heads 

 were snug and dry out of sight in the tent-like interior. 



One last point : the young hatched in nests placed in the 

 great reed beds had rather different habits when alarmed, 



