Part 19

The JACANAS (Parræ) form a group of remarkable birds, occupying the warmer parts of both hemispheres, and characterised by their slender body, long thin beak, narrow pointed wings, short tail, composed of slender feathers (in one species the latter are much prolonged towards the centre), and the extraordinary length of their thin toes and claws. The heavy, beautifully-coloured plumage is alike in both sexes, but the young differ considerably in appearance from the parents. Most members of this group have a bare patch or excrescence on the brow, and a thorn-like appendage on the first wing-joint. These beautiful birds frequent marshy ground, on the borders of rivers and ponds, and obtain the seeds and aquatic insects--that form their principal means of subsistence--from amongst the aquatic plants, over the surface of which their long feet enable them to run with astonishing rapidity. The nest is made among reeds, and contains usually either three or four eggs.

The cry of the Jacanas somewhat resembles a laugh, and is generally uttered just after they have alighted, or when they are about to take wing. If suddenly surprised they instantly give warning to their companions, and immediately fly away, the whole party following, with neck outstretched, and screaming loudly.

THE CHILIAN JACANA.

The CHILIAN JACANA (Parra Jacana) represents a division of the above group, having the slender wing armed with a spur, and composed of pointed feathers. The third quill is longer than the rest. The delicate bill is bare at its corners, and has a skinny appendage at its base; the feet are long and thin, and have the claws and toes of nearly equal length. The short tail, formed of ten soft, slightly-pointed feathers, is rounded at its extremity. In the adult of this species the head, neck, breast, and belly are black, and the back, wings, and sides of the belly reddish brown. The quills are yellowish green, tipped with black, and the tail dark reddish brown; the eye is pale yellow, the beak red, tipped with yellow; the bare patches on the brow and corners of the bill are blood-red, the feet grey, and the wing-spurs yellow. The young are yellowish white on the under side; the crown of the head and nape are black, and the back olive-brown. This species is from nine to ten inches long, the wing measures five inches and one-sixth, and the tail two inches. "A bird so well armed as the Chilian Jacana," says Molina, "cannot want for means of defence in case of necessity, and it of course fights with great courage and vigour everything that attempts to molest it. It is never seen in elevated places, and never perches upon trees, but lives wholly in the plains, and feeds upon insects and worms. It builds its nest in the grass, where it lays four coloured eggs, spotted with black, a little larger than those of a Partridge. It keeps in pairs, and the male and female are almost always together, but it is rarely seen in flocks. When these birds perceive anyone searching for their eggs, they at first conceal themselves in the grass, without discovering any apprehension; but as soon as they see the person approaching the spot where the nest is placed, they rush out with fury to defend it. It is observed that this bird never makes the least noise during the day, and that it cries at night only when it hears some one passing. For this reason the Araucanians when at war are accustomed to watch the cry of this bird, which serves them as a sentinel to inform them of the approach of an enemy. They were formerly accustomed in Chili to hunt these birds with the Falcon, but this mode has been long out of use." The Jacana is good game, in no respect inferior to the Woodcock.

THE CHINESE JACANA.

The CHINESE JACANA, or WATER PHEASANT (Hydrophasianus Sinensis), differs from other Jacanas, inasmuch as it is without the naked forehead and appendages at the corner of the mouth, for which they are so remarkable; the tail, moreover, has the four central feathers of extraordinary length; the first and second primary quills of the wings are longer than the rest; the beak is very slender, the foot somewhat powerful, and the toes proportionately shorter than those of the spur-winged birds. In the Chinese Water Pheasant the fore part of the head, face, chin, neck, and upper breast are white; the hinder neck is yellowish white, marked with a black stripe, that separates it from the upper neck. The upper parts of the body are dark brown, gleaming in certain lights with purple. The upper wing-covers are white. A patch on the head is black; the breast deep brownish black; the lower wing-covers nut-brown; the first wing-quill black, and the second of a very dark shade; the third quill is black on the outer web and at the tip; its other parts are white; the secondary quills are singularly marked; the tail is black, the eye dark brown, the beak blue at its base and greenish towards its point. The length of the male is eighteen inches, and the breadth twenty-four inches. The wing measures eight and the tail ten inches. The female is larger than her mate. One measured by Jerdon was twenty inches long and thirty broad. During the winter the plumage of these birds is of a pale greyish brown on the upper part of the body, and the small wing-covers are transversely banded; the crown and nape are brown, the regions of the eyebrows white, and forehead spotted with white.

This beautiful bird is not confined to China, but is to be found throughout India and Ceylon wherever suitable localities invite its presence. In disposition it is by no means shy, and indeed appears to court admiration, for if driven from the floating lotus-leaves on which it walks, it gives itself but little trouble to escape from observation. At certain seasons it is said to utter sounds resembling the mewing of a cat or the whining of a puppy. Its food consists of aquatic insects, small mollusca, and vegetable substances. Its nest is constructed of aquatic plants, and floats upon the surface of the water. In July or August the female lays from four to seven beautiful eggs, of a bronze-brown or greenish shade. In winter these birds associate in small parties, but are not easily procurable, as if one is wounded it immediately dives, and when it again comes to the surface allows nothing but its bill to appear above water. The flesh of this species is excellent. Jerdon tells us that in Purneah the natives say that before the incubation, i.e., the breeding, this Jacana says "dub, dub" (go under water), and afterwards in the cold weather "powai, powai," which in Purneah dialect means "next year." Amongst the Cingalese, according to Latham, it is known as the Cat Teal, from the peculiarity of its cry.

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The WATER HENS (Gallinulæ) constitute a numerous and varied family, closely related to the last-mentioned species, and largely distributed throughout the warm and temperate parts of the earth. These birds are characterised by their powerful, compactly-built body, moderately long neck, large head, and short, strong, deep, thick beak, the culmen of which is strongly arched; and in most instances are further distinguished by a naked projection from the beak, which spreads over the forehead. Their legs are strong and of moderate length, and their toes either very long, or provided with broad lateral fringes or lobes. Their wings are short, the third or fourth quill being usually the longest; the tail is very short, and they are more or less without variety of tint. In their anatomical structure they are very closely related to the Rallidæ.

All the Gallinulæ are inhabitants of marshy districts, and some of them might even be called water-fowl. They usually prefer sedgy lakes, large swampy morasses and brooks, or ponds and rivers well stocked with vegetation, but are without exception restricted to fresh water. They are generally seen swimming about in open spaces. They run with less agility than the Rails, but far surpass them in their powers of swimming and diving. Although these birds are by no means social in disposition, they show a remarkable attachment to any locality of which they have taken possession, keeping others, even of their own species, at a distance, and sometimes exhibit resolute courage in driving away intruders much larger and stronger than themselves. They also attack small birds with murderous rancour, and are very destructive to young fledglings. On the other hand, they are tenderly attached to their own progeny, both parents exerting themselves for their defence and support, and evincing the greatest affection for each other. The nest is always built either among or in the immediate vicinity of the water-plants that abound in their favourite resorts. The female lays from four to twelve smooth-shelled and spotted eggs; the nestlings when first hatched are clad in dark-coloured down. As soon as the young are capable of exertion, they and the parent quit the place of their birth and wing their way, in some instances farther south, or merely to a more favourable situation, where they remain till after the moulting season.

HYDROPHASIANUS SINENSIS ____ CHINESE JACANA

(about ½ Nat. size)]

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The GALLINULES (Porphyrio), the most beautiful of the European Gallinulæ, and known in some countries as the Sultan's Chickens, were regarded by the ancient Greeks and Romans almost as objects of religious worship, and were kept in the neighbourhood of their temples, as though under the special protection of the gods. Even at the present day they are less persecuted than many of their congeners, probably on account of the beauty of their plumage. The members of this group are moderate-sized but powerfully built birds, distinguished by their strong, hard, thick, and very deep beak, which is of about the same length as the head, and at its base expands into a broad callosity, that spreads over the region of the forehead. The tarsi are long, and the feet strong, with large, widely-separated toes. Their wings are of moderate length, the plumage smooth, and remarkable for its rich colouring. These birds are generally to be met with in swampy localities, in the vicinity of fields of corn, or in rice-fields, which as they are almost constantly under water, seem to suit them as well as their favourite marshes. As regards their food, the Sultan's Chickens differ in no respect from the rest of the family. During the breeding season, they are constantly prowling about the ponds in search of the nests of other birds, which they plunder in the most daring manner. Their thefts are by no means restricted to attacks on smaller species; they rifle the larger ones with utter recklessness, so that in any marsh frequented by the Gallinules the broken egg-shells testify to their destructive habits; they likewise often lay in wait for Sparrows after the manner of a cat before a mouse-hole; a single blow with their powerful beak at once destroys their victim, which is speedily torn to pieces and eaten. Tristram mentions having seen an imprisoned bird thus devour young Ducks.

THE HYACINTHINE PORPHYRIO.

The HYACINTHINE PORPHYRIO (Porphyrio hyacinthinus) has the face and fore part of the neck of a beautiful bright blue; the hinder part of the head, neck, and belly and thighs are dark indigo-blue, as are the breast, back, wing-covers, and quills, but these last are more vivid in their tints; the region of the vent is white; the eye is pale red, surrounded by a narrow circle of yellow; the beak and its prolongation over the forehead are brilliant red, and the feet yellowish red. The length of this bird is about eighteen inches and breadth thirty-two inches. In young birds the plumage of the back is greyish blue, and the under parts speckled with white. The Hyacinthine Porphyrio occupies the marshy districts of Spain and Italy, and is probably also to be found in North-western Africa. In North-eastern Africa it is represented by a nearly-allied species, called by the Arabs the "Dickme," to which we have given the name of Porphyrio chloronotus.

This species is to be seen in numbers, which vary with the season of the year, in Sardinia, Sicily, the lake district of the eastern coast of Spain, in the neighbourhood of Albufera de Valencia, upon the coast of Valencia, and near Algiers. Although usually migratory in their habits, many of these birds remain throughout the winter in the vicinity of their breeding-places. In their deportment they remind us of our own Water-hens, but they have a prouder gait, and step with greater freedom. Their toes spread out so widely that they cover a considerable surface, and each stride is accompanied with a jerking movement of the tail; they are able, moreover, half fluttering and half running, to make their way over a floating surface of aquatic plants. They likewise swim with considerable facility, lying lightly upon the water, and as they row themselves along, constantly bow with their head, as though keeping time with the strokes of their feet. When upon the wing, the beauty of their plumage is fully displayed; their flight, however, is inelegant, they rise unwillingly into the air, and fluttering onwards, fall quickly to the ground, always, if possible, among high reeds, sedge, or rice, amongst which they at once hide themselves. During flight, their long legs hang down behind, and render them easily recognisable at a distance. Their voice somewhat resembles the cackling or clucking of a Hen, reminding us at the same time of that of the Water-hen, but it is of stronger and deeper tone. Like the rest of the family, which it closely resembles in its general habits, this species eats the tender shoots of young corn, grass, and various kinds of grain. When the breeding season approaches, the mated pairs generally resort to rice-fields, and settle down in some place of concealment among the reeds and rushes. Their nest, which floats upon the top of the water, is but a rude agglomeration of dry grass, rice-straw, reeds, and other similar materials. In this roughly-constructed cradle, the female about the end of May lays from three to five eggs, of somewhat elongated shape, with a smooth polished shell, the ground colour of which is dark silvery grey or reddish brown. When first hatched the young are dressed in a suit of dark grey down, their beak, forehead, and legs being of a blueish tinge. They soon learn to swim about and to dive, but their parents continue to watch over them for a considerable period with great tenderness. According to Jerdon, this species is said to destroy large numbers of Wild Ducks' eggs, by sucking them; and one of these birds has been seen to seize a duckling in its huge foot, crush its head, and eat out the brains, leaving the rest untouched.

THE PURPLE GALLINULE.

The PURPLE GALLINULE (Porphyrio chloronotus) is indigo-blue upon the nape and fore-part of the wing, and bright blue on the front of the neck. The breast is indigo-blue, gradually shaded to a slaty-black on the belly. The mantle is dark green. The eye is yellowish brown, the beak blood-red, and the foot brick-red. This species is seventeen inches long and thirty broad. The Purple Gallinule is principally found in the lake districts of Lower Egypt, its presence extending thence east over Syria and the region watered by the Euphrates. As far as our observations enable us to judge, it is a bird of passage, and makes its appearance in Egypt about the end of April, leaving that country in September. It does not, as far as we could learn, ascend the Nile, nor did we ever see it in the countries through which the Upper Nile passes. Its general habits closely resemble those of the species above described.

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The WATER-HENS (Stagnicola) are recognisable by the structure of their beak, which is of conical form and compressed at its sides, its base being prolonged over the forehead, and its cutting edges finely denticulated. The feet are large, with long toes, furnished at the sides with broad, web-like folds of skin; the wings are broad and obtuse, the third quill being the longest; the tail is short, and formed of twelve feathers. The plumage is thick and luxuriant.

These birds are more aquatic in their habits than the Rails; they swim with great facility, disporting themselves upon the surface in a singular manner, and continually striking the water with their tails. When approached or alarmed, they have recourse to diving, employing their wings to assist their progress under water, or take flight, skimming along close to the surface till they reach a place of shelter. On the land they move with ease, whisking with the tail at intervals as they walk, and are enabled by the compressed shape of their bodies to run rapidly through coverts or thick herbage. From the length of their toes, they can also walk over considerable spaces of still waters, supported on the floating foliage of aquatic plants. The borders of rivers and lakes are their favourite resorts, especially when the current is slow and deep, and the stream bordered with rocks and herbage, as the latter affords a safe shelter during the day. The food of these birds consists of slugs, worms, and insects, together with various kinds of grain and vegetable matter. The nest is a thick mass of interlaced grasses, rushes, and flags, and is generally placed in a retired spot among the reeds by the water-side.

THE COMMON GALLINULE, OR MOOR-HEN.

The COMMON GALLINULE, or MOOR-HEN (Stagnicola, or Gallinula chloropus), is, notwithstanding the plainness of its attire, a very beautiful bird. The plumage of the back is dark olive-brown, elsewhere dark slate-grey; the thighs are spotted with white, the region of the vent is pure white. The colour of the eye is peculiar; immediately round the pupil is a circle of yellow, to which succeeds a second of green, while a third exterior ring is red. The beak towards its base is vermilion-red, towards its apex yellow; the foot greenish yellow. The length of this bird is twelve inches, its breadth twenty-three inches; the length of the wing seven inches and a half, and the length of the tail three inches and a half.

The habitat of the Moor-hen extends all over Europe and a considerable portion of Asia, but it is seldom seen in Africa. In Europe, with the exception of the high northern latitudes, it is everywhere common. In England it is met with at all seasons, whilst in Germany it is a bird of passage, arriving about the end of March, and departing in October; some few, however, remain all through the winter. These birds generally travel by night, and probably on foot, at least some of them have been captured under circumstances that lead to such a supposition. In early spring they usually arrive in pairs, in the vicinity of their breeding-places, but occasionally they come singly. Naumann, who watched a pair of Moor-hens from his garden for several consecutive years, sometimes observed that the males and sometimes the females appeared first; on one occasion the female came alone, and seemed to use her best endeavours to get a partner to join her, but in vain, until at length, after a fortnight's sojourn, she disappeared. On another occasion the male arrived by himself, and seemed by no means to consider his solitary condition as one of single blessedness; day and night he reiterated his call-note, almost without intermission, and sometimes in such a pitiable tone that it was almost distressing to hear him, until at length, on the fifth evening, his anxiously looked-for mate arrived, and put an end to his love-lorn suspense. When a pair has once taken possession of a suitable pond they are silent, but if a female is first upon the spot, she seems to invite any passing male to join her. The individual so invited frequently flies around her in wide circles, as though bethinking himself what he should do; generally, however, he is content to pursue his journey alone, as is made manifest by the renewed solicitations of the female.

Slow waters, the margins of which are thickly covered with sedge and coarse grasses, or at least with reeds and brushwood, and partially overgrown with floating herbage, afford the requisite conditions for their residence. Each family of Moor-hens seems to prefer having a whole pond to itself, and it is only on extensive pieces of water that several pairs are to be met with, and even in this case each pair strives jealously to keep possession of its own territory. There is something particularly pleasing in the appearance of these graceful and well-proportioned birds when undisturbed in their quiet pools. As they move, the points of their wings cross each other, and their tail, held perpendicularly upwards, is constantly kept moving in little jerks, their neck being bent into the shape of the letter S, and their body laying horizontally on the water. Occasionally they come on dry land to obtain a little repose, either on a tuft of weeds, or on the bough of a tree, or sometimes on a piece of floating wood. Here they employ themselves in preening and oiling their feathers, preparatory to taking another swim, or to ensconcing themselves among the rushes and thick grass. Their narrow and apparently compressed bodies enable them to make their way with facility over weeds and leaves floating upon the top of the water. Upon firm ground they move lightly and gracefully, with long and measured steps, and should they be suddenly surprised, they will rise and fly to their pond, with a flight somewhat resembling that of a Barn-door Fowl. When on the water their power of diving is extraordinary; at the slightest appearance of danger they vanish like lightning, and having plunged beneath the surface, use both wings and feet to row themselves along. Should they under these circumstances be forced to come up again to breathe, only the beak is protruded, and that under the protecting shelter of a tuft of herbage.

The nest is usually placed among reeds on the ground, sometimes on the bank at the edge of the pool, occasionally among roots of trees, or long grass, or on branches overhanging the river, when there is danger of the water rising and overwhelming the nest. This instinctive forethought is, however, equalled, if not surpassed by the ready ingenuity of these birds when such a danger unexpectedly arises, as the following account by Mr. Selby will show: "During the early part of the summer of 1835, a pair of Moor-hens built their nest by the margin of the ornamental pond by Bell's Hill, a piece of water of considerable extent, and ordinarily fed by a spring from the height above, but into which the contents of another large pond can be occasionally admitted. This was done while the female was sitting; and as the nest had been built when the water-level stood low, the sudden influx of this large body of water from the second pond caused a rise of several inches, so as to threaten the speedy destruction of the eggs. This the birds seem to have been aware of, and immediately took precaution against so imminent a danger; for when the gardener, seeing the sudden rise of the water, went to look after the nest, expecting to find it covered, and the eggs destroyed, or at least forsaken by the hen, he observed, while at a distance, both birds busily engaged about the brink, where the nest was placed, and when near enough he clearly perceived that they were adding, with all possible dispatch fresh materials to raise the fabric beyond the level of the increased contents of the pond, and that the eggs had by some means been removed from the nest by the birds, and were then deposited upon the grass, about a foot or more from the margin of the water. He watched them for some time, and saw the nest rapidly increase in height, but I regret to add that he did not remain long enough, fearing he might create alarm, to witness the interesting act of replacing the eggs, which must have taken place shortly afterwards, for upon his return in less than an hour, he found the hen quietly sitting upon them in the newly-raised nest. In a few days afterwards the young were hatched, and, as usual, soon quitted the nest and took to the water with their parents. The nest," continues Mr. Selby, "was shown to me soon afterwards, and I could then plainly discern the difference between the new and the older part of the fabric."

The construction of the Moor-hen's nest is a serious operation, in which both parents assist. The materials made use of are leaves of various kinds, both dry and fresh; these are piled upon each other, sometimes apparently in a very slovenly manner, but at others with more care, so that when completed the structure looks like a coarsely-made basket of leaves, in the centre of which is a basin-shaped depression, wherein the eggs, from seven to eleven in number, are deposited in the course of about a fortnight. The eggs are of moderate size, the shells hard, fine-grained, and smooth, but dull-looking. Their colour is pale rusty yellow, spotted with violet-grey and ash-grey, and besprinkled with cinnamon and reddish brown specks. Both sexes take a share in the incubation of the eggs, which are hatched after the lapse of twenty or twenty-one days. The young remain in the nest about twenty-four hours after their escape from the egg, at the end of which time they are introduced by their mother to their new element, the water, to which they are heartily welcomed by their male parent. The family now begins to be a very interesting spectacle; the young brood swims about, closely following the movements of the old birds, all of them eagerly watching for worms or insects that their affectionate caterers pick up for them; and as soon as they see one caught, all simultaneously rush forward to obtain the coveted morsel. After a few days, however, they learn how to obtain their own food, although they are still carefully watched and protected from danger. At the slightest warning they vanish; indeed, it is wonderful to see the celerity of their movements. In about a fortnight they are able to shift for themselves, and their elders begin to make preparations for rearing a second brood, which, after the lapse of a few weeks, make their appearance upon the water, and the scene we have just described is enacted over again, but with additional circumstances that make it still more interesting. By the time the second family show themselves, those of the first brood are half grown up, and might be supposed to trouble themselves very little about the additional members of their family; such, however, is by no means the case; small and great, old and young, seem to meet each other in the most affectionate manner. The half-grown birds at once begin to share with their parents the labour of providing for their new brothers and sisters, to whom they bring food in their beaks, and watch over them with the greatest assiduity, just as their parents had done to them a few weeks previously. As the number of the second brood is usually smaller than that of the first, and the parent birds are not a bit less assiduous in helping their younger than they were in providing for their elder children, the latter grow rapidly; they generally swim in the middle of the little flock, and are fed and cared for by all.