PARRIDJE — THE JACANAS — PARRA. 
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found abundant late in June. It was seen in Arizona at various seasons, but not in 
great numbers. Its food consists principally, if not wholly, of insects, grasshoppers 
seeming to be its main reliance, with crickets and beetles. In the fall, when food is 
plenty, the birds are excellent eating. 
When forced to fly, this Plover is said to rise rapidly with quick wing-beats, and 
then to proceed with alternate sailing and flapping. It generally flies low over the 
ground, and as it alights takes a few mincing steps. 
The eggs of this species (S. I. No. 2858) obtained by Dr. Suckley on the North 
Forks of the Platte, northwest of Fort Kearney, July 15, 1857, do not resemble in 
their general appearance the eggs of the species of the genus Mgialitis. They are a 
rounded oval in shape, one end being but slightly more pointed than other. The 
ground-color is a deep brownish drab, nearly uniformly marked with rounded spots 
of varying size, of deep bistre ; these are a little more numerous, and larger about 
the ohtuse end. The eggs measure 1.40 inches in length, and 1.10 in breadth. Speci- 
mens of eggs of this species in the Smithsonian Collection from Frenchman’s lliver 
(No. 17016) have a ground-color of a deep reddish buff, with spots of different shades 
of brown and black, chiefly the latter. There were three eggs found in the nest, and 
this seemed to be the complement ; they were nearly fresh. The nest was a mere 
depression on the bare prairie, lined only with a few grass-blades. The eggs measured 
respectively 1.50 by 1.15, 1.55 by 1.10, and 1.60 by 1.05. Mr. Stevenson describes 
their nests as being mere depressions in the ground ; in one four eggs were found. 
Mr. J. A. Allen saw newly hatched young, and others full grown, July 27 and 28, in 
South Park, Colorado. 
Family PARRIDiE. — The Jacanas. 
Char. Small-sized Wading-birds, combining the general appearance of Rails and 
Plovers, but differing from both in the remarkable and excessive elongation of the 
toes and claws, the latter nearly straight and much compressed, that of the hallux 
much longer than its digit, and slightly recurved. 
The above brief diagnosis is sufficient to distinguish the Jacanas from all other 
Wading-birds. Their nearest allies appear to be the Plovers, from which they differ 
chiefly in the character of the feet, as pointed out above. The single American genus 
Parra, Lath., is further characterized by the presence of leaf-like lobes at the base 
of the bill, and a sharp conical spur projecting from the inside of the bend of the 
wing, in the possession of which features they present a striking analogy to certain 
Plovers, as the genera Lobivanellus, Stkickl., and Jloplopterus, Bonap. The genus 
Parra, of which there are several species, all American, 1 is characterized as follows : — 
Genus PARRA, Linnaeus. 
Fulica, Linn. S. N. ed. 10, I. 1758, 152 (F. spinosa = Parra jacana, L. ed. 1766 2 ). 
Jacana, Briss. Orn. V. 1760, 121 (type, Parra jacana, Auer.). (Includes also Hyd alcdor, Wagl., 
and Metopodius, Wagl. ) 
Parra, Linn. S. N. I. 1766, 259 (type, P. jacana, L. ). 
1 For a synopsis of the species of this genus, see Sclater “ On the American Genus Parra,” in Proc. 
Zool. Soc. Loud, 1856, p. 282. 
2 Allowing specific names given in the 10th edition of “ Systema Naturae,” against which there appears 
to he no valid objection, we can see no reason why the common South American Jacana should not be 
called P. spinosa, L., instead of P. jacana. 
