THE BIRD BOOK 



JACANAS. Family JACANID^ 



St' 



288. Mexican Jacana. Jacana spinosa. 



Range. — Tropical America, nortli in summer 

 to tlie lower Rio Grande Vallej' in Texas, and 

 casually to Florida. 



Mexican Jacana. 



Yellowish olive. 



This interesting species has most of its 

 structural characters similar to the Plovers, 

 but has more the appearance and habits of the 

 Rails. They are about eight inches long, the 

 head and neck are black, the body chestnut, 

 and the wings largely greenish yellow. They 

 have long legs, long toes and extremely long toe nails, a scaly leaf on the fore- 

 head, and a sharp spur on the shoulder of the wing. Owing to their long toes 

 and nails, they are enabled to walk over floating weeds and rubbish that would 

 sink beneath their weight, otherwise. They build their nests on these little 

 floating islands in the marsh ; they are also sometimes made of weeds and 

 trash on floating lily pads. They lay from three to five eggs of a yellowish 

 olive color, curiously scrawled with brown and black. Size 1.22 x .95. Data. — 

 Tampico, Mexico, June 3, 1900. Three eggs. Nest of weeds and drift on lily 

 leaf floating in fresh water pond near town. 



■^it^ 



172 



