396 CLASS AVES. 



Chestnut Jacana. Parra Jacana. L. Enl. 322. 



Black, with a red mantle ; the primaries of the wings 

 green, and fleshy wattles under the bill. It is the 

 most common in all the warm parts of America. 

 It has very sharp spines at the bend of the 

 wing. 



The J. Varia, (P. Variabilis) Enl. 846, is only the 

 young of the common species. The P. Brasiliensis, 

 and P. Nigra, exist only on the somewhat equivocal 

 authority of Marcgrave. The P. Viridis, which also 

 rests only in the description of Marcgrave, appears pro- 

 bably to be a Porphyria, or Purple-hen. The P. Afri- 

 canus of Latham hardly differs. P. Chavaria, is a 

 Palamedea. 



There are also some in Asia. 



Indian Jacana. Parra ^nea. P. Melanchloris 

 Vieill. Gal. 264. Parra Superciliosa. Horsf. 

 Java. 



Body, black, changing into blue and violet ; mantle, 

 bronzed green ; rump and tail, sanguine red ; ante- 

 rior wing-quills, green ; a white stripe behind the 

 eye. The spines are blunt and small. 



Most probably the same as the Parra Indica, Lath. 



Some have also been discovered in the East, that 

 want the membrane, and which are otherwise 

 remarkable for singularities in the proportions of their 

 quills. 



