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Show 394 AVES. Totanus, and the nasal grooves occupy but half its Jength. The excessive length and tenuity of the legs which a1·e reticulated and des· titute of a thumb, and the weakness of their bones, which is so extreme as to render walking painful to them, are what principally distinguish the species of this subgenus, and give rise to their· name. One species only is known in Europe,-Chm·adrius himantopua, L., Enl. 878, which is white, with a black calotte and mantle, and long red feet; it is a rare bird whose habits arc but im· perfectly known.(l) This is perhaps the only place for the RECURVIROSTRA, Lin. Or the Avosets, although their feet, which are webbed to near the ends of the toes, almost entitle them to a situation among the Pal· mipedes; but their high tarsi and half naked legs, their long, sl~n· der, pointed, smooth, and elastic bill, together with the mode ofhfe resulting from this conformation, equally approximate .th~m t~ the Snipes. What particularly characterizes, and even d1stm.gu1shes them from all other birds, is the strong upward curve of the1r beak. Theil· legs are reticulated, and their thumb much too short to reach the ground. . The European species,-Recurv. avocetta, L., Enl. 353, 1s white; a black cal otte and three bands on the wing of the same hue; feet, lead-coloured; it is a pretty bird of a graceful form, found in winter on the sea shore. The American species,-R. americana, Wils. VII, lxiii, 2; Leach, Zool. Misc., pl. 101, differs from it in a red hood. The coasts of the Indian seas produce a third which is white, with black wings and red feet, the R. orienta/is, Cuv.(2) FAMILY V. MACRO DACTYLI. This family is furnished with very long toes, fitted for walk· ing on the grass of marshes, and even for swimm·m g, I·D tho.s e numerous species especially, in which they are bordered Wlth a membrane. There are no membranes, however, between (1) Add, Him. nigricolli8, Wils. VII, pl. lviii, 2, and Vieill. Gal. pl. 229. (2) Vieillot has changed this name into Recuroir.leucocephala. Gal. pl. 272· GRALLATORJJE. 395 the bases of their toes, not even between the external ones. The beak, more or less compressed on the sides, is lengthened or shortened according to the genus, never, however, becoming as slender or as weak as that of the preceding family. The body of these birds is also singularly compressed, a circumstance which is owing to the narrowness of the sternum ; their wings are moderate or short, and their flight feeble. They all have a long thumb. They have been divided into two tribes according to the armature or non-armature of their wings; but this character is fiable to exceptions. JAcANAs, Briss.-PARRA, Lin.(l) The Jacanas are greatly distinguished from the other Grallatorice by having four very long toes, separated down to their root, the nails of which, that of the thumb in particular, are also extremely long and pointed, from which peculiarity, they have received their vulgar name of Surgeons. The beak is similar to that of the Lapwings in its moderate length, and in the slight inflation of its end. Their wing is armed with a spur. They are noisy and quarrelsome birds, which inhabit marshes of hot climates, where they walk with great facility by means of their long toes. America produces some species in which the base of the bill is covered by a flat, naked membrane, which extends to part of the forehead. P.jacana, L. Enl. 322. (The Common Jacana.) Blaek, with a red mantle; the primary wing-quills g•·een; fleshy wattles under the beak; very sharp-pointed spurs. It is the most common species in all the hot climates of America.(2) Some of the same description are also found iu Asia, (1) Jacana, or Jahana, is properly, in Brazil, the name of the Gallinu~. 1Th~ Surgf0n8 are there called .llquapuazos, because they walk over the aquatic P an calJed .llquape (Azzar. ). It is possibly through an error of transcription that one ofthemin Marcgrave is named .llguapeccaca. Parra is the Latin name of some unknown bird. (2) The J.. varU(P. variabilis ), Enl. 846, is only the common species at an. early age: The P. brasiliemia·and the P. nigra exist only on the somewhat e~u~vocal authority of Marcgrave. The P. viridis, which also rests on the descr1ption of Marcgr .. ve appears to me from the description itself, to be a P01•phyrio. The. P · afn·.c ana, L'a th. scarcely dif' fers. As fot· the P. chavan·a , see t h e t'o 1 1 OW·J· I I g article on the Palamedea:. |