530 TilKDS FKOM NICARAGUA AND COSTA KICA HICIIMOND. 



Tlic (lowiiy youiii^- are entirely black above, slightly *ilossy; niuler- 

 parts dull black, deepest on chest and sides; thi-ctat dull light j;iay, 

 mixed with blaclc down; alxlonien and tlanks <lai'k smoke gray, with a 

 tinge of button the former; a sooty grayish stieak along tlie median 

 line. 



Immature birds are clove brown above, becoming <lull bhu'lc on the 

 tertialsj-rump, and tail. Top of head dull dark gi-ayish, the feathers 

 indistinctly edged with dark brown; sides of neck, and nape, with 

 faint tinge of rufus; sides of head, neck, and breast smoke gray, ob- 

 scurely tii)ped with dusky; throat, and underparts medially, dull white, 

 the latter more or less tipped with dusky; lower sides and flanks dark 

 grayish, obscurely barred with dull white. Wings sei)ia brown. In 

 l)irds slightly older than this there is a butty suffusion on the abdomen 

 and under tail-coverts, and isidated cinnanu^n feathers appear on the 

 breast. 



Irisof the adult, carmine; feet and legs, olive; bill apple green at base; 

 in immatuie birds the iris is dark brown; nuindible plumbeous. 



269. Porzana exilis vagans Kidgw. 



One specimen taken on the Escondido. It was caught while running 

 through the grass l)y one of the laborers. 



This specimen agrees very minutely with the type in most points, but 

 has rather less barring on the wing coverts and the tarsus is nuu-li 

 shorter. McasurenuMits are as follows: 



Number. 



112255 

 127053 



Locality. 



Type : Sogovia River, Honduras . . . , 

 Escondido River, Nicaragua . 



Sex. 



Culiuen, 



0.66 

 .63 



Wing. Tarsus 



2.82 

 2.82 



' Eyelids <-lay color; feet raw umber; iris carmine, bill as in the above 

 species. 



Family JACJANID.^. 



270. Jacana spinosa (Linn.). 



Very common at (ireytown, and at Magnolia ]>lantation on the I.s- 

 condido. Young birds about a week old were noticed April 10. JJirds 

 in immature plumage seem to predominate at all seasons of the year. 



Family IIELIORNITHID.E. 



271. Heliornis fulica (Bodd.). 



Common on i\w Kio Frio, but much less so on the San Juan and Es 

 condido, no doubt on account of the traffic on the latter rivers. The 

 birds are usually found close to tho patches of tall grass that occur at 

 intervals along the banks of the streams. They are almost invariably 

 in pairs, ratlicr sliy, and quick to seek shelter if a[)i)roached. A favor- 



