708 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



which they may he said to form a well characterized family: the 

 fact of the females being much larger than the males militates 

 against their association with the Plovers. 



Gen. Metopidius, Wagler. 



Bill moderate, stout, compressed, thick at the base, culmen 

 curved at the tip ; forehead with a lappet or caruncle of skin ; 

 tail short; nostrils small, ovate, in the middle of the bill; wings 

 moderate or short, 2nd and 3rd quills longest, 1st sub-equal, 

 spurred, or tuberculate at the shoulder ; tarsus long ; feet enormous, 

 the toes long and thin, and the claws very long and pointed ; 

 hind claw especially long. 



900. Metopidius indicus, Latham. 



Parra, apud Latham— Blyth, Cat. 1613 — P. senea, Cuvier — 

 P. superciliosa, IIorsfikld, Zool. lies. Java, pi. — Jkrdon Cat. 

 3-26— Hakdwicke, ill. Ind. Zool. j>l. — l\ atrata, Tickkll, (the 

 young) — Dal-pipi, and Jol-pipi, also Kai-athja, Beng. — Kattoi, in 

 Purneah. 



The bronze-winged Jacana. 



Descr. — Head, neck, and all the under parts rich dark green, 

 glossed on the head, neck, and breast, and with purple reflections 

 on the bark of the neck and upper back; a broad white super- 

 cilium beginning just over the eye; interscapulars, wing coverts, 

 (except the primary), scapulars, and tertiaries, pale shining 

 bronze; the lower back maroon, with a beautiful purple gloss; 

 tail dark cinereous, the lateral feathers bordered with black, tipped 

 white, and with a whit" shaft; primary coverts and quills black, 

 faintly glossed with green ; lower abdomen and thigh-coverts 

 dull blackish green ; under tail-coverts deep chesnut. 



Bill greenish yellow, tinged with red at the base, and the frontal 

 lappet livid ; hides brown ; legs dull green. Female, length 12 

 inches; extent 24; wing 7£ ; tail If; bill at front 1£ ; tarsus 3 ; 

 middle toe and claw 4; hind toe and claw 3|. Male, length 10; 

 extent 20^ ; wing 6; tail If; bill 1£ ; tarsus 2§ ; middle toe 3f ; 

 hind toe 3£ ; claw alone 2£. 



