a 
PARRA CAPENSIS. 649 
such situations—a feat which it accomplishes without sinking, by 
means of its long and wide-spreading toes. These birds are of a 
lively disposition, and frequently chase one another about. When 
they have not been previously disturbed they are generally easy 
to approach; and their vivacious habits, elegant forms, and hand- 
some colouring add much to the interest of the scene.” 
According to Mr. Monteiro, the present species is common on all 
the fresh, still waters of Angola, and Senor Anchieta has procured 
it on the Coroca River and at Mossamedes and Humbe. 
General colour, rich cinnamon-brown; back of head and neck 
black, tinged with green; chin and front of neck white, darkening 
into shining-yellow on the chest, which is divided from the cinnamon 
of the body by a narrow dark line; front of head bare, which 
together with the basal half of the bill is blue in life; the tip is 
horn-coloured ; legs dark-green; claws horn-coloured ; “ bill bluish 
black, pinkish at the tip, the frontal shield and skin at the base 
of the upper mandible light slate-colour; shanks, tarsi and feet 
slate or ash-colour, the feet being rather darker than the legs ” 
(T. Ayres). Length, 10"; wings, 54"; tail, 12”. 
The female, according to Mr. Ayres, is considerably larger than 
the male. 
Fig. Lath. Gen. Syn. pl. 17. 
621. Parra capensis, Smith. Lesser African Jacana. 
Sir Andrew Smith procured a single specimen of this bird near 
Algoa Bay, and the only other specimens which we have heard of in 
the colony were two which Captain Trevelyan shot near Kingwilliams- 
town in 1876, after some heavy rains ; these are the only two which 
came under his notice during his residence in South Africa. In Natal, 
Mr. Ayres “found numbers of these beautiful birds on the Sea- 
Cow Lake. In habits they much resemble the larger kind, running 
with ease on the weeds which appear on the surface ; they are rather 
shy. If, on searching for food, they happen to approach a larger 
Jacana (Parra africana), they are immediately chased away; and 
as both kinds are plentiful in that locality, and feed all day long, 
there is constant squabbling amongst them. There is one habit 
they have which I have not noticed in the other Jacanas—viz., 
the dipping the head up and down, like some of the smaller 
Plovers.”’ 
