JACANAS. 



329 



middle-sized bill ; legs armed with pointed spurs ; toes furnished 

 with long and sharp-pointed claws, and a back toe longer even 

 than the front ones. These birds inhabit Asia, Africa, and South 

 America. In Brazil they are called " Surgeon-birds," from the 

 resemblance the claw on their back toe bears to a lancet. They 

 frequent swamps, lagoons, and the margins of pools. They 

 walk on the wide- spreading leaves of tropical aquatic plants 

 with perfect ease, although they swim very imperfectly : some 

 naturalists, indeed, declare that they cannot swim at all, and 



y 



Fig. 122. Jacana (Parra africana, Sw.)- 



they are probably justified in this opinion by the appearance of 

 the bird, which seems to have few characteristics of an aquatic 

 species. Their flight is rapid, but not very high. 



The Jacanas live in pairs. They are exceedingly numerous, 

 and perfectly fearless of man. They are restless and quarrelsome 

 in their nature, frequently engaging in conflict with other birds, 

 when they make good use of their spurs. They will defend 

 their offspring with daring courage even against man himself, 

 and will sacrifice their lives without hesitation in their defence. 

 The male and the female evince the tenderest mutual attach- 

 ment ; once united, they part no more during life. They make 

 their nest in a clump of flags or other aquatic plants, in which the 



