nOMOPTILl'RA. — .TACANA. 135 



edgings to the feathers ; primary and secondary (|i;ilis l)ro\vn 

 mottled with white; middle and sides of crown buff ; a bhick line 

 from the base of the bill to the eye ; sides of the face buffy-white 

 more or less intermixed with dark brown; throat uniform buffy- 

 wliite ; entire under surface white, the feathers barred or edged 

 with brown ; under tail-coverts sandy buft" with dark brown bars. 



Total length 330 mm., ctilmen 10<S, wing 155, tail 50, 

 tarsus -18. 



Tlie adult male and female are alike in colour of plumage and 

 very similar in wino;-ineasurement, but the lenoth of the culmen 

 appears to be longer in the female. 



This species is easily distinguished from the other Snipes in tho 

 (Jjlonv by its large size. 



The bird described was obtained on the Ituribisi River in Octol>er 

 r.HlS. 



JJi-eediiuj season. Unrecorded in British Guiana. 



Sest. " Built on a small hillock in the swamps" (^ScJiomhun/k). 



Eggs. '" La^'s two eggs" (Schomhurgk). 



Range in Bi'itish Guiana. Ituribisi River (McConnell collection) ; 

 Merume Mountains, Mount Roraima, 3500 ft. ( Wlu'feli/). 



E.vtraUndtal Range. Cayenne. 



Habits. Schomhurgk writes (Reis. Guian. iii. p. 758) : — '"Tin's 

 Snipe is found solitary on the swampy grazing grounds near the 

 coast and in the swampy parts of the Savannas. It builds its 

 nest on a >mall hillock in the swamps and lays two eggs." 



Family JACAXID.E. 



The birds which constitute this family are very Rail-like in 

 appearance, wiih long toes and spur-like claws. Thcv are found 

 over the greater part of tlie known world, being distributed in 

 Africa, Asia, and Australia, Central and South America. One 

 genus and three species occur in South America, one species being 

 represented in British (luiana. 



Genus JACANA Briss. 



Jncana Brisson, Orn. v. j). llil, 17(JU. 'J'vju' J.jnvinia (Liiiii.). 



This genus is distinguished by the frontal leaf-like lappet and a 

 pendent lappet at tiic unglr^ of the gape^ the spur on the wing, and 

 the very long toes antl claw-. 



