PAERA. 341 



The nest resembles that of the Water-hens, and is a floating mass of grass and reeds, 

 and the eggs are thickly scrawled all over with black. 



Of the seven genera known, two are American, one is Australian, two African, and 

 two Asiatic. 



PAREA. 



Parra, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 259 (1766). 



Jacana, Schaeffer, Elem. Orn. fol. 2 B, t. 7. figs. 1, 2 (1774) ; Stejueger, Auk, ii. p. 338 (1885) ; 

 Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus, xxiv. p. 81 (1896). 



The genus Farm is distributed over a large part of South America, from Brazil and 

 Argentina to Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama. It is distinguished from the other 

 Jacanas by the form of the frontal lappet, which is flat and leaf-like, and has a single 

 median indentation behind ; there is a small pendent lappet at the angle of the mouth, 

 and the wing is furnished with a very sharp and well-developed spur. 



The Linnean name Parra has been so well known for more than a century as 

 applying to these particular American Jacanas, that we cannot see the advisability of 

 changing it to Jacana, as has been recently done. 



1. Parra melanopygia. 



Parra melanopygia, Scl. P. Z. S. 1856, p. 283 i; Scl. & Saly. P. Z. S. 1864, p. 372 ''j Lawr. Ann. 



Lye. N. Y. vii. p. 301 ' ; Salv. P. Z. S. 1867, p. 161 * ; 1870, p. 218 \ 

 Jacana melanopygia, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus, xxiv. p. 84 ^ 



Supra saturate vinaceo-castanea, supracaudalibus et tectricibus alarum sordidioribus, tocfericibus reUquis 

 nigris ; remigibus pallide sulphureis, nigro terminaliter limbatis, secundariis longioribus externis 

 purpurascenti-nigris, intimis castaneis dorso coneoloribus vel medialiter nigricantibus ; supracaudalibus 

 et Cauda purpuraecenti-nigris ; pileo et eollo undique cum dorso summo et gastraeo toto viridi-nigris, 

 corporis lateribus vix castaneo lavatis ; subalaribus nigris, intimis et axUlaribus castaneo lavatis. Long, 

 tota circa 8*5, alae 4'7, caudse 1"65, culm. 1'35, tarsi 2-45. (Descr. maris aduiti ex Castillo, Yeragua. 

 Mils, nostr.) 



Juv. Nigra, scapalaribus et tectricibus alarum brunneis, bis albido marginatis ; pileo et striga postoculari 

 nigris ; superoilie lato et facie laterali albis vix flavo tinctis, gastraeo toto albo ; subalaribus. et axillaribus 

 nigris ; Cauda cuprescenti-brunnea ; carunculis facialibus vix evidentibus aut nullis. (Descr. av. juv. ex 

 Sante Fe, Veragua. Mus. nostr.) 



H<ib. Panama (M'Leannan^^), Castillo ^«, Santa Fe^s, Calobre^^ (^rce),— Colombia, 

 Santa Marta ^ ^. 



This is a northern representative of the common Parra jacana of Brazil, but has a 

 darker and more maroon-coloured back, with some of the inner secondaries entirely 

 puiplish black ; the under surface of the body is blackish, with the sides and inner 

 under wing-coverts dark maroon, the outer ones and lower primary-coverts being black. 

 The species was originally described by Dr. Sclater from Santa Marta, and has been 

 since met with in the State of Panama by M'Leannan and Arce. 



