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very close together, they cannot fly off so quickly 

 but that great numbers of them are generally left 

 dead on the ground. The flesh is delicious, and 

 preferable to that of any other species of the parrot. 



In almost all parts of America is found a species of 

 water hen, with armed wings, especially at Brasil, 

 where it Js called the jacana. That of Chili, called 

 the theghel (parra Chilensis) is of the size of a pie, 

 but its legs are longer ; its head is black, ornament- 

 ed with a small crest, the neck, back and upper part 

 of the wings are purple, the throat and upper part of 

 the breast black, and the belly is white. The quills of 

 the wings and the tail are short and of a deep brown ; 

 on the forehead it has a red fleshy excrescence, di- 

 vided into two lobes ; the iris of the eyes are yellow, 

 and the pupil brown ; the bill is conical, a little bent 

 towards the point, and about two inches long ; the 

 nostrils are oblong and very open, and the legs, 

 which are bare of feathers below the knees, have 

 four long toes that are separate, but more propor- 

 tionate to its size than those of the Brasil species. 

 The spur, which is placed on the joint of the wing, 

 is six lines long and three broad, and is of a yellow- 

 ish colour and conical form. 



A bird as well armed as this cannot want for 

 means of defence in case of necessity, and it of course 

 fights with great courage and vigour every thing 

 that attempts to molest it. It is never seen in ele- 

 vated places, and never perches upon trees, but lives 

 wholly in the plains, and feeds upon insects and 

 worms. It builds its nest in the grass, where it lays 

 four fawn-coloured eggs, spotted with black, a little 



