Mr Dahjleisk on Birds and Eijysfroni ParagiMty. 87 



greyish lilac markings ai)pearing as if below the outer shell ; 

 the markings on one of the dark set, however, approach closely 

 to those of the lighter coloured one. 



24. Aramides ypecalm (Vieill.). Ypecalia Rail. Local name 

 '' Pacaa " {TpacaJul. Azara). — This bird is found generally in 

 reed beds, coming out in the mornings and evenings to feed. 

 It is found throughout Southern Ijiazil, Paraguay, and 

 Northern Argentina. About the size of a barn door hen, it 

 bears some resemblance to that bird in manners and appear- 

 ance. AVhen alarmed it goes off like a hen, with a run 

 breaking ultimately into flight in the same manner as the 

 domesticated bird. It is occasionally kept tame, and. my 

 collector saw one going with the poultry in the court of 

 a hotel in Asuncion. It is a shy bird and not easily 

 obtained. 



Two clutches of five eaofs each taken on 10th November 



Co 



1886 and 9th October 1887 respectively. These vary a good 

 deal in size, but average 2^^^ by If^ inches. They are 

 similar in colour to the lighter-coloured clutch of the last- 

 mentioned species, and the markings, which are larger in 

 proportion to the size of the Qgg, may also be described as 

 similar in colour and character. 



The nest was merely a scraped hollow in the centre of a 

 raised bunch of grass. 



25. Farrajacana (Linn.). TheJacana. Local name" Agua- 

 peaso," literally " walker upon water " (Aguapeazo. Azara). — 

 The Jacana is found throughout central South America from 

 Guiana to Southern Brazil. It is very common on the 

 Amazon. Essentially a water bird it is found on the rivers 

 and larger lagunas, where, with its broadly extended toes, it 

 easily walks over the floating plants on their surface, which 

 harbour the insects upon which it feeds. Like our own 

 water hen it is a slow and awkward flier, trailing its 

 legs behind in flight. In habits it is shy, keeping well out 

 from the shores of the lakes and rivers it frequents. Its 

 food is minute mollusca and water insects. Its handsome 

 egg is figured in De la Sagra's Birds of Cuba. 



Clutch of four eggs taken 18th October 1886. Like other 

 species of the same family these are very beautiful, being 



