THE JACANA — THE JABIRU. 369 



The Prince of the Waders, the huge Jabiru, ( 3& ) 

 Up the dell in much Haste with a long serpent flew. 

 The Crows, Rooks^ and Ravens, arriv'd rather late; 

 The Wild-Turkies were many — affected much state. 



purple ; length ten inches ; very noisy ; flesh good ; inhabits 

 watery places of South America. 



The Chavaria, or Faithful Jacan a, has the toes long; on 

 the hind head a crest, consisting of about twelve black feather?, 

 three inches long, pendent; body brown, belly light black; 

 wings and tail blackish ; wing-spurs two or three, half an inch 

 long ; size of a cock, and stands a foot and a half from the 

 ground ; inhabits the rivers and inundated places near Cartha- 

 gena in America. The natives keep one of these birds to 

 wander with the poultry and defend them from birds of prey, 

 which it does by the spurs on its wings : it never deserts its 

 charge, bringing them home safely at night. It feeds on herbs ; 

 its gait is slow; it cannot run unless assisted by its wings ; it 

 flies, however, easily and swiftly j voice clear and loud. 



( 39 ) Order, Grall^e, (Linn.) Jabiru, the American, the 

 Indian, the New Holland. 



The genus Mycteria, (Linn.) or Jabiru, comprises six 

 species, distinguished by a sharp-pointed bill, a little bending 

 upwards ; tongue small, or tongueless ; feet four-toed, cleft ; the 

 following deserve notice : 



The Americana, or American-J abiru, is white, the plumage 

 on the neck excepted, which is red; quill and tail-feathers 

 purplish-black. It is one of the largest birds of Guiana, being 

 more than four feet high and six in length. Its large black bill 

 is a formidable weapon, being above thirteen inches long, and 

 at the base three in thickness ; feeds chiefly on fish, but destroys 

 serpents and other reptiles ; is gregarious and migratory ; eggs 

 two ; nest iu trees hanging over water. 



The Asiatica, or Indian-Jabiru, is white; band over the 



ro 



