THE SAVAGE WORLD. 
381 
The name trumpeter has been given because of the loud and very curious 
ventriloquous sound the bird produces with the mouth closed. It nests upon 
the ground. 
The Sun Bittern (Eurypyga helms), also called Striped Sun-ray, is also a 
South American bird that possesses the characteristics of both heron and rail, 
but is easily distinguishable from both. It is beautifully variegated with 
white, brown and black bands and mottlings. It is hardly so large as the 
brown bittern, has a long, square tail, and a neck of some length, but which 
is carried drawn back so 
as to be invisible, except 
when the bird is excited. 
The feathers lie close dur¬ 
ing the life of the bird, 
but immediately after 
death they turn up at 
the ends and appear to 
be reversed. Though shy 
in its native haunts, the 
sun bittern is easily tamed, 
and, like the trumpeter 
described, it is often found 
among the poultry of 
South American Indians. 
It inhabits the banks of 
great rivers, and builds 
its nest at low elevations, 
of sticks lined with slime 
and deftly beaten mud. 
It lays the eggs twice 
each year, and hatches the 
young in four weeks. The 
length is thirty inches. 
The Jacana {Parra 
jacana) is a very strange 
bird, found widely dis¬ 
tributed in Africa, Asia 
and Australia. It is dis¬ 
tinguished for its extra¬ 
ordinary toes, which are 
almost wire-like in thin¬ 
ness, yet of the most ex¬ 
traordinary length. But 
we perceive in these a singularly wise provision, showing again the marvel¬ 
lous adaptation of structure to habits. This bird finds its subsistence among 
the water-lilies, or the floating leaves of other water-plants, upon which, by 
means of its very long and slender toes, it is able to walk, while picking off 
the snails and other insects which inhabit water-plants. In South America, 
cranes may be also seen very often, standing upon the gigantic leaves of the 
victoria regina, which can support the weight of a body even larger than that 
bittern (Botaurus stellaris). 
