GRALLATORIE. 395 
the bases of their toes, not even between the external ones. 
The beak, more or less compressed on the sides, is lengthened 
or shortened according to the genus, never, however, becom- 
ing as slender or as weak as that of the preceding family. 
The body of these birds is also singularly compressed, a cir- 
cumstance which is owing to the narrowness of the sternum ; 
their wings are moderate or short, and their flight feeble. 
They all have a long thumb. 
They have been divided into two tribes according to the 
armature or non-armature of their wings ; but this character is 
liable to exceptions. 
Jacanas, Briss.—Parra, Lin.(i) 
The Jacanas are greatly distinguished from the other Grallatoriz 
by having four very long toes, separated down to their root, the 
nails of which, that of the thumb in particular, are also extremely 
long and pointed, from which peculiarity, they have received their 
vulgar name of Surgeons. The beak is similar to that of the Lap- 
wings in its moderate length, and in the slight inflation of its end. 
Their wing isarmed with aspur. They are noisy and quarrelsome 
birds, which inhabit marshes of hot climates, where they walk with 
great facility by means of their long toes. 
America produces some species in which the base of the bill is 
covered by a flat, naked membrane, which extends to part of the 
forehead. 
P. jacana, L. Enl. 322. (The Common Jacana.) Blaek, with 
ared mantle; the primary wing-quills green; fleshy wattles under 
the beak; very sharp-pointed spurs. It is the most common 
species in all the hot climates of America.(2) 
Some of the same description are also found in Asia, 
» (A) Jacana, or Jahana, i is properly, in Brazil, the name of the Gallinulz.. The 
7 ‘Surgeons are there called Aquapuazos, because they walk over the aquatic plants 
 ealled Aquape (Azzar.). It is possibly through an error of transcription that one 
of'them in Marcgrave is named guapeccaca. 
Parra is the Latin name of some unknown bird. 
(2) The-J: varié (P. variabilis), En\. 846, is only the common species at an early 
age. ‘The P. brasiliensis and the P. nigra exist only on the somewhat equivocal 
- authority of, “Marcgrave. The P. viridis, which also rests on the description of 
Marcgrav e, appears to me, from the description itself, to be a Porphyrio. The P 
africana, Lath. scarcely differs. As for the P. chavaria, see the following article 
- on the Palamedez. 
