JACAXA. 137 



body, axillaries, and under wing-covorts chestnut ; head, neck, 

 under surface, tips of tail-feathers, and outer margin of wing- 

 above and below bhick ; primary-quills and outer secondaries 

 lemon-jellow edged with dark brown. 



Total length 230 mm., culmen (from base of frontal shield) 30, 

 wing 140, tail 46, tarsus Gl, middle toe and claw 77. 



Adult female. Similar to the adult male in coloration, Init 

 smaller in Aving-measuremeiit^ 133 mm. 



The description of the male is taken from an example ol)tained 

 on the Abary River in September 1907. 



The young is distinguished by its bronze-brown upper surface, 

 including the head, back, wings, and tail. The uiuler surface and 

 a line aboye and behind the eye buffy-white. 



Breedimi-season. Unrecorded in British Guiana. 



Nest. "A thick mass of water-weed''^ {Lloyd Price). 



Eggs. "The eggs are found, usually on a thick mass of water- 

 \veed, usually four in number, and of oliye-brown, spotted and 

 streaked with black " {Lloyd Price). 



Range in British Ginana. Upper Takutu Mountains, Supenaam 

 River, Abary Riyer (McConnell collection) ; Rupununi River 

 {Broicn) ; Greoi'getown, Abary Riyer (Beehe). 



Extralimital Ranae. South America to the Aro-entine. 



Habits. Regarding tlie habits of this bird Schoml)urgk (Reis. 

 Guian. iii. p. 759) writes: — "Is one of the most common marsh 

 l)irds in British Guiana, being most })lentiful on the coast region. 

 Its favourite haunts are the small ditches running from the planta- 

 tions, bogs, and lakes near the coast ; here it runs about u])on the 

 leaves of water-plants, })reying on insects and tlieir larva'. As 

 soon as one of a flock discovers a suspicious-looking object it raises 

 its head, calls out loudly ; the rest innnediately join, and one by 

 one disap{)ear until the whole flock has flown away. They do 

 not fly far, however, without settling again. AVheii doing this 

 they display the beautiful colours of their pliunage. The nest is 

 l)iiilt in a dry hollow near the edge of a marsh or ditch, and the 

 bird lays from three io four eggs. The ' Wanaus ' call it 

 Sassitnng and the ' Macusis ' Zeckeh-zeckeh.'''' 



Mr. J. J. Quelch (Timehri (2) ii. p. 3(')3) obscrv.'d this sjx'cies, 

 which he calls the Lovely Si)ur-wii)g {I'arra Jac(tiia), on the Abai-y 

 ]{iver, and remarks tliat it ran l)ark\vards and f()r\vai(l,> as llidiigli 

 undecided what was best to do. 



