340 GEDICNEMID^.— PAEEID-S;. 



southward to the Eio BTanco in Upper Amazonia. Its habits are somewhat similar to 

 those of the Old- World (E. crepitans. Near Huamachal in Guatemala, Salvin met 

 with a considerable number of these birds, frequenting the grassy savanas between the 

 lagoons. He used to see them every day, and on one occasion found a nest with a 

 single egg. The birds cry out at night, after the manner of (EL crepitans, and the 

 notes of the two species are very similar ^. 



Sumichrast met with (E. Mstriatus at Tapana, Tehuantepec, and says that it is 

 very common on both coasts of Mexico ^. In Honduras, George Cavendish Taylor 

 found it inhabiting the plain between La Brea and Nacaome, as well as the open part 

 of the plain of Comayagua ^*. Mr. Nutting says that in Nicaragua " this curious bird 

 is gregarious, and lives in the pastures surrounding the haciendas, where it makes 

 itself useful in eating the various insects that annoy and injure the cattle. On this 

 account it is protected by the inhabitants of the country " ^^. 



Owen, writing on May 5th, 1861, observes : — " I have only been able to obtain 

 one egg of this bird. Their nesting-time must have been long past, judging from the 

 size of the young which may be seen on the plains. The egg closely resembles that 

 of (E. crepitans, being of a pale ochreous brown, spotted all over with shades of dark 

 brown. It was deposited on the bare ground, the place chosen being slightly hollowed 

 out, and at the foot of a straggling shrub which afforded a slight shade " ^. 



Signor Festa procured a living specimen of this Thick-knee during his expedition to 

 Panama, which he fed upon flesh, soaked bread, and maize. He remarks that the bird 

 gave utterance at night-time to a most lamentable cry. 



Pam. PARRIDJE. 



The Jacanas constitute a tropical family, which is found in both the Old and New 

 Worlds. In America they are distributed over nearly the entire Neotropical Region, 

 and one genus, Asarcia, extends into Southern Texas. It is represented in Afirica, 

 India, China, the Malay Archipelago, and Australia. 



The Parridae have, until recent years, been considered to belong to the RaUiformes, 

 and their slender bodies, enormously long toes, armed with a straight spur-like claw 

 and their aquatic habits, afforded superficial evidence that they were Ralline birds. 

 Subsequent investigation, however, has conclusively proved that the Jacanas are very 

 aberrant Limicolae, and as the (Edicnemidae connect the great mass of the Plovers and 

 Snipes with the Bustards, so do the Parridae connect them with the Rails. 



In addition to their remarkable external form, there are several anatomical characters 

 which distinguish them from the true Plovers. The palate is schizc^athous and 

 basipterygoid processes are present; there are no occipital foramina, the dorsal 

 vertebrae are opistboccelous, and the spinal feather-tract is forked on the back. 



