The Jacanas 257 



yellow wings tipped with black, and ornamented with a 

 yellow spur. This, however, albeit a formidable enough 

 weapon to look at, is apparently never used as a means of 

 offence or defence. On the contrary, it would seem to be 

 but part of the ornamentation of the wings, which are 

 apple-green in colour. This is a very rare tint to find in 

 the plumage of a bird, and especially on the quills, but it 

 is certainly looked upon as an ornamentation by the 

 Jacanas, for they make a display of it. Mr. Hudson 

 says that in the Argentine Republic he has seen these 

 birds leave their feeding all in a moment, and, with quick 

 excited notes, cluster together in a close group, and go 

 through a singular and pretty performance, all together 

 holding their wings outstretched and agitated, some with a 

 rapid fluttering, others with a slow-moving, leisurely motion 

 like that of a butterfly sunning itself. The performance 

 over, the birds peaceably scatter again, and he has never 

 seen Jacanas fighting. 



Our next illustration (p. 259) gives a picture of two little 

 Manakins (Chiroxiphia linearis\ engaged in their dance. 

 When travelling in Central America, Mr. C. C. Nutting 

 came across this species in Nicaragua. He writes " The 

 natives call this bird the ' Bailador ' or ' Dancer,' but it 

 was not until I had been in the region for some time that I 

 understood why it was called by that name. One day 

 when hunting through the dense forest, the profound 

 silence was suddenly broken by the regularly repeated 

 note of ' El Bailador,' and softly making my way to the 

 spot, I witnessed one of the most remarkable performances 

 it has ever been my lot to see. Upon a bare twig which 

 overhung the trail at a distance of about four feet from the 

 ground, two male ' Bailadors ' were engaged in a ' song 

 and dance' act that simply astonished me. The two birds 

 were about a foot and a half apart, and were alternately 

 jumping about two feet in the air, and alighting exactly 



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