T.7.S Stejneger, Analccta Ornithologica. [October 



genus Vanellus, thus proving that he understood their true rela- 

 tionship. 



Thus was first established the genus which has since nearly 

 unanimously but wrongly been called Parra. Its proper name 

 is yacana, and its only type is yacana spinosa. 



Parra was not invented before 1776, when Linnaeus — fully 

 aware of Brisson's older appellation, for he quotes the latter — 

 introduced as a genus a most heterogenous assemblage, the chief 

 characters of which were " Frons carunculata ; carunculis loba- 

 tis ; Alulae spinosae," ignoring not only Brisson's appellation but 

 also his natural arrangement. Parra, therefore, includes not only 

 the Jacana, which Linnaeus described twice, as Parra jacana, 

 and as Parra variabilis (the latter being only a new name for 

 Fulica spinosa), but also two of Brisson's Vanelli, which now 

 are usually referred to Chettusia or Lobivanellus, and finally 

 the bird which is so well known as Chauna chavaria. 



Starting our nomenclature from 1758, it is clear that Parra for 

 the Brazilian Jacana is entirely out of question. Consequently 

 the name of the family also should be changed, and will stand 

 as Jacanidae. 



But even if we take 1766 for our starting-point, the result will 

 be the same, viz., that Parra is untenable for the Jacanas. Parra, 

 as originally established, contained five nominal species, P. do- 

 minica and senegalla, which are Old World Charadriidae, P. 

 jacana and variabilis* which are the Brazilian Jacana, and P. 

 chavaria. Now, in 1774, Brisson's faithful follower, Jacob 

 SchafFer, in his ' Elementa Ornithologica,' re-established the 

 genus yacana. He placed it next to Vanellus and gives the 

 comparative characters as follows : 



" Rostrum rectum ; apice crassius, breve. Vngvicvli breuis 

 simi. Vanellus." 



" Rostrum rectum ; apice crassius, longiusculum. Vngvicvli 

 longissimi. Jacana," 



referring at the same time to pi. vii, figs, i and ii, where is given 

 colored representations of head and foot of Jacana, probably 

 copied from Edwards, pi. 48, and very recognizable. Not 

 before 181 1 was Chauna established by Illiger, leaving Parra for 

 the two ' Vanelli ' of Brisson. 



1758-men may therefore tabulate the synonymy thus : 



