2g8 Ellioi o/i tlic yucuitiihc. [July 



where it join.s the forehead, yellow in skin, probably red or orange in life. 

 Base of maiuiible bluish white, with a space of carmine between it and 

 the wattle ; rest of bill bright yellow. Metacarpal spur large and sharp 

 at point. Legs and feet dull olive. Total length, 9; wing, 5-5^; tail, 

 2I ; bill, 1%; tarsus, 2J in. 



To/dig: — Top of head and nape pale brown, a superciliary yellowish 

 white stripe from base of maxilla to nape of neck. A black stripe from 

 behind the eye, narrow at first, but widening as it proceeds, passes down 

 the side of neck, and crosses the upper part of back. Chin, throat, sides 

 and front of neck and entire underparts white, with a strong buiV tinge on 

 the upper part of breast. Back and wings pale bronzy brown. Primaries 

 and secondaries like the adult, with slightly more brown on the primaries. 

 Rump and upper tail-coverts purple. Tail purplish black. Frontal wat- 

 tle rudimentary. Bill yellow, blue at base. Feet and legs olive. 



Habitat. Haiti (Cory). Cuba (Cory). Tcxn,s (Merrill). 

 Mexico (De Oca, Markham, Suinichrast) . Guatemala (Lcy- 

 laml). Costa Rica (Salvin). Honduras (Taylor). Yuciitan 

 (Giumer). Cirthagcna, Colcjmhia (Edwards, vSclatcr). 



In lyS*^ Linniiius i^ave tothcbiid from Cartliat^ena represented 

 in plate 48 of Edwards's 'Natural History of Birils,' tlie name of 

 Fulica spiiiosa. In 1760 Brisson placed this bird anions the 

 synonyms of his ''Chinigien varie," and some more allied toil, 

 in the genus Jacana. In 1766 Linn;iius in his i 3th edition, dis- 

 regarding all that had been done before with this species, both 

 as to other authors and his own writings as well, gave the bird 

 of Edwards's plate 48 the specific name oivariabilis^ and placed 

 it in his genus Parra^ manufactured for the occasion, ignoring 

 the prior claims of Brisson in the premises. That Edwards's 

 plate represents the P. gynmostoina auct.,a'nd not/', jacana 

 auct., is evidenced by both the colored figure and the description, 

 as the latter states that the frontal wattle, or as he calls it, the 

 'loose flap,' is "scalloped with three scollops on the tip," and his 

 plate shows this, and there is no indication of any side wattles 

 at base of bill. The wattle of P. jacana is bi-lobed, and there 

 are pendent side wattles, even in young birds. This is the his- 

 tory of this species up to 1766, and of the way it received its 

 baptism. Now what name must it bear.'' Those who adhere to 

 the 1758 edition of Linnteus say spinosa; those who prefer the 

 1766 say variabilis. I have begun with 1758, not that I am 

 altogether satisfied that it is the proper one, for when an author 

 studiously ignores his own previous writings and consolidates 



