648 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
and blackish at the tips; bill dark brown, yellow at the base ; feet 
greenish yellow; iris yellow, dotted with brown. 
The female, according to Professor Bocage, is exactly like the 
male in size and colour. 
Fig. Cab. in Von der Decken Reis. iii, tab. xvi. 
Fam. PARRIDZA. 
620. Parra arricana, Gm. African Jacana. 
This Jacana is decidedly rare in the colony, though we have 
received specimens from several different and widespread localities. 
Mr. Rickard states that they are occasionally to be seen on the 
Swartkop. Near Kingwilliamstown it is said by Captain Trevelyan 
to be rare. He killed two specimens after some rainy weather in 
1876, and saw another which had been shot in the neighbourhood. 
“Tn Natal,’ writes Mr. Ayres, “they are to be found in consider- 
able numbers in the lagoons and pools along the coast; their food 
appears to consist entirely of the seeds of water-plants and small 
insects, which they find amongst the leaves of the water-lilies and 
other weeds. Walking with ease on the floating leaves of these 
beautiful plants, they feed more or less throughout the day, and are 
active in their habits, apparently having constant feuds with each 
other, and chasing one another about on the wing. If disturbed they 
always fly to cover, unless very close to it.” It has not apparently 
been recorded from the Transvaal, but during Mr. Jameson’s 
expedition to the Mashoona country it was met with at Kooroomoorooi 
Pan, and Mr, Ayres says, “ although there were several on this pan, 
we only succeeded in shooting one, owing to their cleverness in 
hiding amongst the water-grasses thinly growing in the shallow 
water.”” Mr. Andersson gives the following note :—“I have never 
seen this curious species in Great Namaqua Land; and it is a 
comparatively scarce bird in Damara Land, but pretty common on 
the rivers Okavango, Teoughe, and Botletlé, and also at Lake 
N’gami. It is found in pairs or in small flocks, frequenting 
stagnant pools or still waters on the sides of lakes and rivers, 
where it runs about on the decayed semi-floating herbage, and 
also on the large-leayed lotus plants, which generally abound in 
