OF BIRDS. 1 

































— Jeagues, or ninety miles, from Carthagena, in 
Terra Firma, in South America: it eats vegeta- 
bles; its carriage, that is, its walk, is flow and 
folemn; it flies with great eafe and very fwiftly ; 
it cannot run, but with the affiftance of its wings. 
| If the fkin be touched by the hand, although there 
bea thick down under the feathers, a great crack- 
‘ ling is perceived. ‘This thick down makes the body 
_ fo light, that the Jacana can {wim perfectly well, 
though its toes be of fo extraordinary a length 
_ and quite divided: with thefe it can walk in deep 
pools, where there are many weeds. In each 
i wing it has two or three thick, hard, and fharp 
_ fpurs, about half an inch in length: they are con- 
_ vealed, unlefs it be when its wings, which are very 
long and ftrong, are fpread to their utmoft extent, 
and it is about to attack an enemy. This Jacana 
kills his enemies by ftriking them very violently 
with his wings. He has a ftrong averfion to ra- 
‘ -pacious birds, that is, birds of prey; he attacks. 
af them without provocation; he often flies to meet 
_ them, and drives away a fpecies of vulture that is 
frequent in South America. 
The natives, who keep poultry in great num- 
bers, have generally one of thefe Jacanas tame. 
‘He conftantly attends the flock committed to his 
_ are; although he can fly, he never deferts them, 
but 
