AVES. 585 



siderably compressed, somowliat arched from the middle, and tapering to a 

 point in both mandibles ; base depressed, and elevated to a crest on tin- 

 front ; upper mandible projecting beyond the under one at the tip ; nostrils 

 oval, lateral, situated near the centre of the bill ; legs very long ; tibia naked 

 tliree quarters of its length ; tarsus thickening as it descends ; feet with 

 three very long anterior toes, entirely free, fiu^nished with long straight 

 claws ; hallux parallel with the toes, rather long, and furnished with an ex- 

 tremely long, straight, subulate claw, slightly retrousse at the tip ; wings 

 short, armed with a short spine at the axilla ; the second and third quills the 

 longest. 



Parra Jacana. — The Chestnut Jacana. Plate xliii. fig. I. Back, throat, 

 upper wing-coverts, and scapulars, rich chestnut-coloured ; under parts 

 black, ii-ideseent, changing to purple ; bill yellow, carunculated at the base. 

 Ten inches long. Inhabits South America. 



Ge7iwi 34— PORPHYRIO.— S»!sson. 



Generic Character. — Bill of medium size, robust, hard, conical, nearly as 

 deep as long, somewhat shorter than the head ; upper mandible depressed 

 and dilated towards the base ; nostrils lateral, nearly round and pervious, 

 placed near the centre of the bill ; legs long, strong ; tibia half naked ; three 

 anterior completely divided toes, which in some species are very long, and 

 marginated by a narrow membrane ; hallux long, articulated on the tarsus ; 

 all the toes have long bent claws ; wings concave, rounded ; the second and 

 third quills the longest. 



Porphyria tavoua. — The Martinico Porphyrio. Plate xlii*. fig. 9. Head, 

 neck, breast, and abdomen, deep iridescent Antwerp-blue, with purple re- 

 flections ; back, scapulars, rump, and tail, deep sea-green, clouded with 

 black; lesser middle wing-coverts and quills azure-blue; crissum and tibia 

 black ; under tail-coverts white ; irides, frontal plate, and tliree quarters of 

 the bill, scarlet, tipped with yellow ; legs ash- yellow. Fourteen Inches long. 

 Inhabits Martinique and the United States of America. 



ORDER XIV.— PINNATIPEDES. 



Bill of medium size, straight; upper mandible slightly bent at the point; 

 legs of medium length, straight; tarsi slender, or compressed; feet with 

 three anterior toes, having rudimentary webs along their sides ; hallux 

 articulated anteriorly on the tarsus. 



Genus 1. — FULICA. — Linnaus. 



Generic Character. — Bill somewhat shorter than the head, strong, conical, 

 straight, compressed, deeper than broad at the base ; the ridge projecting in 

 front of forehead, dilated into a plate ; the upper mandible slightly curved, 

 and widened at the base, the lower one forming an angle ; nostrils lateral, 

 longitudinally cleft, and situated in the middle of the bill, half closed by aa 

 inflated membrane ; legs long ; tibia partly naked ; three anterior toes very 

 long, connected at the base, and edged by a scalloped membrane ; wings con. 

 cave, rounded ; the first and fifth quills longest. 

 IV. 3d 



