1881.] ON THE ANATOMY OF THE JAQANAS. 639 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE LVI. 



Fig. 1. Ovulum vidleri, p. 638. 



2. Cancellaria wilmeri, p. 637. 



3. Conits p7-evosti, -p. 63Q. 



4. thomasi, p. 685. 



6. — — gloynei, p. 637. 



6. lomhei, p. 637. 



7. bocki, p. 636. 



8. Cyprcea pyriformis, var. smithi, p. 638. 



3. Notes on the Anatomy and Systematic Position of the 

 Ja9anas [Parridcs). By W. A. Forbes^ B.A., Prosector 

 to the Society. 



[Eeceiyed April 8, 1881.] 



It having lately been my good fortune to dissect two specimens of 

 Parra jacana, from Pernambuco, and an eviscerated specimen of 

 Metopidius africanus, as well as to examine skeletons and skins of 

 some other species of this group, a few notes on their anatomy may 

 be acceptable to the Society, the more so on account of the very con- 

 siderable difference of opinion that has hitherto existed amongst 

 systematic ornithologists as to the true relationships of this group. 

 Two main views on this subject have been put forward, one placing 

 the Jagan^s near the Rails (Mallidce), the other asserting that they 

 are, essentially, modified Plovers. The former of these views has been 

 maintained by Jerdon', Sundevall", and Milne-Edwards^, to men- 

 tion only some of the most recent ornithological writers of import- 

 ance, as well as by the illustrious Nitzsch in his classical memoir on 

 the pterylography of birds^. The latter view has been adopted by 

 Messrs. Sclater and Salvinin their ' Nomenclator,' where the Parridse 

 are interpolated between the (Edicnemidse and the Charadriidse 

 as members of the order "Limicolse"^ The late Prof. Garrod, 



1 Birds of India, iii. p. 707. « Tentamen, p. 130 (1872). 



3 Oiseaux Fossiles, ii. p. 110 (1869-71). 



* Pterylograpby, E.ay Society's edition, p. 126. 



5 Op. cit. p. 142 (London, 1873). The term " Limicolm " wag, I believe, origin- 

 ally used by Nitzsch (Pterylogr. p. 194) to include the birds now included in 

 the " families " Charadriid® and Scolopacidfe, together with some aberrant 

 forms, such as Dramas, Cursorius, Thinocorus, &c. By Messrs. Sclater and 

 Sal-vin its use is still further extended to include the CEdicnemidiB, Parridse, 

 and Chionididse in addition. Lastly, Prof. Garrod used it (P. Z. S. 1874, 

 p. 122, &e.) as a term for all the non-columbine " Charadriiformes," inclu- 

 ding in it, besides Nitzsch's groups, the Cranes, Auks, Gidls, and, presumably, 

 the Turnicidas, EhinochetidiB, Plataleidaj, and Parridas as well. In fact. Gar- 

 rod's restricted " family" Charadriidoe corresponds pretty nearly to the whole of 

 Nitzsch's " Limicolfe seu Scolopaeinae." To obviate further confusion, the term 

 " Limicolse " should be restricted to the group mentioned by Nitzsch ; and I pro- 

 pose to substitute, as a name for the non-columbine Charadriiformes (the 

 " Limicolse " of Garrod) the word " Pluviales," tocorrespond with the other divi- 

 sion, " Columbse " (including the Columbidse and Pteroclidae), of that great 

 group. 



