108 
JACANAS 
Distribution. — Pacific coast of North America from the Aleutian Islands 
to La Paz, Lower California, and the Kurile Islands; breeding throughout 
most of its range. 
Eggs. — 1 to 3, laid on the bare rock, sand, or gravel; light buff or olive, 
spotted with brownish black and purplish gray. 
Mr. Loomis has taken black oyster-catchers on the Seal Rocks at 
Monterey in July. They are said, to be strictly littoral in their habits, 
always flying over the sea when moving from point to point. 
FAMILY JACANIDA2: JACANAS. 
GENUS JACANA. 
[288.] Jacana spinosa (Linn.). Mexican Jacana. 
Toes very long and slender, hind claw straight and longer than toe; 
bend of wing armed with a sharp spur ; forehead covered by a leaf-like 
scale from base of bill. Adults: head and neck greenish black; wing 
quills yellowish green edged or tipped with dusky ; rest of plumage rich 
purplish chestnut. Young: with only a rudiment of frontal leaf; back 
olive gray, back of neck black ; rump brown ; under parts and stripe on 
side of head white. Length: 8.50, wing 4.50-5.40, bill 1.15-1.40, tarsus 
1.90-2.35. 
Distribution. — Middle America from southern Texas to Colombia; 
Cuba; Hayti. 
LAND BIRDS. 
KEY TO FAMILIES. 
ORDER GALLING : GROUSE, QUAIL, TURKEYS, 
PHEASANTS, ETC. 
1. Hind toe short, raised above level of front ones. 
Fig. 128. 
2. Leg with spur, head naked or tail vaulted, plumage 
largely metallic. Phasianidae: 
Turkeys and Pheasants, p. 134. 
2.' Leg without spur, head feathered, tail not vaulted, 
plumage not metallic. Tetraonidae : 
Grouse, Partridges, Quails, etc., p. 113. 
1'. Hind toe long, on a level with front ones. Cracidae : 
Currassows and Guans, p. 137. 
ORDER COLUMBHC: PIGEONS OR DOVES. 
Bill slender, nostril opening in soft fleshy skin or membrane. 
Columbidae : Pigeons, p. 138. 
Fig. 129. 
