JACANA. 389 



greatest use, as it never deserts the charge committed to its care, 

 bringing tliem all home safe at night. It is so tame, as to suffer 

 itself to be handled by a grown person; but will not permit children 

 to attempt the same. For the above account we are indebted to Lin- 

 naeus, who received the whole from Jacquin, and is the only one who 

 has given any account of this wonderful bird. 



7.-CHILI JACANA. 



Parra Chilensis, bid. Orn. ii. 765, Gm. Lin. i. 707. Molin. Chil. 223. Id. Fr. ed. 239. 

 L'Aguapeazo proprement dit, Voy. d'Azara, iv. No. 384. 

 Chili Jacana, Gen. Syn. Sup. ii. 324. 



SIZE of a Magpie, but with longer legs ; the bill conic, some- 

 what bent at the tip, in length two inches; irides yellow; on the 

 forehead a bilobated, red caruncle; the head somewhat crested, 

 black ; neck behind, back, and fore part of the wings, violet ; before 

 to the middle of the breast, black; belly white; the quills and tail 

 brown, the latter short; at the bend of the wing a yellowish, conical 

 spine, half an inch in length ; legs brown, naked above the joint, 

 as usual in the Genus; but the toes less elongated. 



This species inhabits Chili, frequenting the plains, and living 

 chiefly on insects and worms, but rarely seen in the higher situations : 

 makes the nest among the grass, and lays four fulvous eggs, spotted 

 with black, and about the size of those of the Partridge; the male 

 and female generally together, very rarely uniting into flocks: when 

 any one approaches the nest, the bird lies still, till the person comes 

 quite close, when it springs upon him with the utmost fury, in order 

 to defend the young or eggs ; is generally silent during the day, and 

 at night likewise, except any one approaches, when it sets up a cry; 

 hence the Araguies make use of them, in war time, as sentinels, to 

 prevent their being surprised. The natives formerly took these birds 

 by means of the Falcon, but it will on all occasions defend itself 



