iSSS.] Elliot oh the yacnuitlii'. 200 



himself, so to speak, as Linn;LULs docs, in his 12th edition, I do 

 not see that any ornithologist shonld be troul)led abont earlier 

 dates so far as Linnaans is concerned. But in this instance (as it 

 is a moot question among ornithologists as a class, wliich edition 

 sliould have priority), the name spinosa means something when 

 applied to a Jacana, and variabilis does not, and so I have 

 adopted it. In this 12th edition, there is no mention made of 

 Fulica spinosa., either in that genus, or as a synonym of Parra, 

 its author having apparently decided to obliterate it entirely. 

 Specimens of this bird from Cuba and Haiti agree precisely 

 with examples from Mexico and Central America, and therefore 

 P. violacca Cory will have to become a synonym. 



Metopidius indicus. 



Indian yacana Lath. Sjn. Suppl. p. 257. 



Parra ittdica Lath. Ind. Ornith. 1790, p. l(->^. — Vieill. Nouv. Diet. Mist. 



Nat. 1S17, p. 447; ih. Ency. Mcth. 1S23, p. 1056.— Schleg. Mur. 



Pajs-B. Ralli 1865, p. 67. — Salvad. Ucc. Born. 1874, p. 343. — In- 



GLiss, Str. Fcath. 1877, p. 46. — Hume & Davison, Str. Feath. VI, 



1S7S, p. 464.— Cripps, Str. Feath. VIII, 1879, P- 304.— Butl. Str. 



Feath. IX, iSSo, p. 430. — Lloyd, Ibis, 1882, p. 470. 

 Parra ciifrea Vaiil. Shrieft. Naturii. Selsk. 1793, II, 2, p. 51. 

 Parra cristata ViEiLL. Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat. 1817, p. 450; ih. Ency. Mdth. 



1823, p. 1055. 

 Parra (Fnea Cuv. R02;. Anim. 1S17, I, p. 49S ; il>. Res;. Anini. 1S29, I, p. 535, 



— Less. Trait. Ornith. 1S31, p. 539. — Nitzsch, Pteryl. 1867, p. 126. 



—Forbes, P. Z. S. iSSi, p. 640. 

 Parra supcrciliosa HoRSF. Trans. Linn. Soc. XIII, 1821, p. 194; ih. Zool. 



Res. pi. 64 (1S24). 

 Metopidius (Etiens Wagl. Isis, 1S32, p. 279. 

 Hydralector cristatus Wagl. («(?c Vieill.), Isis, 1S32, p. 2S0. 

 Parra atrata Tick. Jour. Asiat. Soc. Beng. 1833, II, p. 582. 

 Parra mcla7iochloris Vieill. Gal. Ois. 1S34, II, pi. 264. 

 Parra melatioviridis ViElLL. Gal. Ois. 1S34, II, p. 164. 

 Metopidius indicus Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. Asiat. Soc. Bcng. 18.^9, p. 273. 



— Jerd. B. Ind. 1S62, p. 70S. — Hume, Nests and Eggs Ind. B. 1873, 



p. 591.— Oates.B. Brit. Burm. 1SS3, p. 358. 



Adult: — Head, neck, breast, flanks, abdomen and thighs rich dark green, 

 glossed in certain lights with purple reflections. Chin white. A broad 

 white stripe extends from above the eye to the nape. Back and wings 

 pale greenish bronze, this color separated on the back from the dark green 

 of the neck b}'^ a line of bright purple. Lower back, rump, upper and 

 under tail-coverts maroon. Tail chestnut. Outer secondaries black on 



