116 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 



Family Parridce. 

 Toes enormously long. 



Genus Hydralector. 



Rail-like in form. The great length of the toes and claws 

 enables the bird to run with great facility over floating aquatic 

 plants in lakes or swamps. Weak in powers of flight, they can 

 dive well and remain submerged for a long time. 



The Comb-crested Jacana. 



Hydralector gallinaceus. 



Australia, Celebes, and South Borneo. 



Above bronzy brown; upper tail-coverts and tail black, the centre 

 tail feathers white at base; forehead, sides of neck and face straw- 

 colour; throat white; breast and under wing-coverts black; abdomen 

 white. Total length 9 inches, culmen with frontal lappet 1.8, wing 5.6, 

 tail 1.6, tarsus 2.4, middle toe and claw 3.6. 



Usually a floating nest of green vegetation or built on water- 

 lilies and similar plants in a swamp. The four eggs are very 

 striking, being exceedingly glossy and interlaced all round with 

 almost black lines on an olive-stone background. They measure 

 about 1.19 X .83 inch. 



Family Glareolidm. 

 Nostrils sehizorhinal. Tarsus transversely scaled in front. 



Genus Stiltia. 

 Tarsus very long, the outstretched feet far exceeding the tail. 



The Pratincole. 



Stiltia Isabella. 



Australia to Celebes, and Greater Sunda Island. 



Above brown, all the feathers more or less washed with a sandy 

 rufous; coverts and primaries black; upper tail-coverts white; tail black, 

 white at base, increasing towards the outermost, which is almost white; 

 chest sandy rufous; abdomen white. Total length 9 inches, culmen 0.65, 

 wing 8.3, tail 2.4, tarsus 1.85. 



Eggs laid in a very slight depression on the bare ground. 

 They are usually two, and are stone-colour, covered with light 



