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a winged or only wounded one is never recovered. Though not web-footed, they dive instantly on the
attempt to capture them, and you see them no more.’ Of course, like so many other waders and water-fowl
(Gallinules and Grebes for imstance), they remain concealed among the aquatic herbage, with the nostrils
only above water, and so wait until they consider all danger over.

“As remarked by Mr. Jerdon, ‘This handsome species is (in the Peninsula of India) perhaps more
generally spread than the other Jacana (Metopidius Indicus), but is not so numerous, except in some few
localities. It frequents, like the other, weeded and lily-covered tanks, but is also often to be seen feeding at
the edges of rivers and tanks totally devoid of weeds. Feeds on seeds, also on shells and water-bugs.’ This
accords with our own observation in Bengal, where we have sometimes seen it, to all appearance, walking
on the water, and slight and little visible were the supports on which its long toes really rested. So far as
we have seen, it is much less gregarious than Metopidius Indicus. We have kept both species tame for
months together, thriving well upon the shrimps upon which all our various small Grallatores were fed.
H. Sinensis was, in the aviary, rather quarrelsome with its kind, but agreed well with every other species.”

I find figures of the adult and young of this species among the drawings of the late Hon. F. J. Shore ;
and the following notes are taken from the accompanying MS. :—

‘“Futtehgurh, June 16, 1834.—I have been more than two years at this place, and have only observed
these birds just at this season of the year and till July. Sometimes only a single one, at others a pair
walking by the river side, or rather on sand-banks among the reeds and grass ; upon one occasion I observed
several pairs. The stomach of those examined contained insects.

“ Meangunj in Oude, Feb. 23, 1835.—Common in the marshes of Bengal; less so in those of the upper
provinces. Found small shell-fish and insects in the stomach. If kept a short time these birds are very well
flavoured and almost equal to snipe.

“In Nov. 1836, I found these birds in the Jubulpoor territories, and the stomachs of those I examined
filled with rice.”

Capt. Boys states that it is ‘common near Mando and at Nalcha. Runs nimbly over the water-plants
which cover the lakes near Malwa, procuring its food as it runs: this consists of weeds, the larvee of water-
insects, and occasionally of the perfect insect.

“Its note resembles the word pee-oo, with an intonation resembling the Cuckoos, but somewhat sharper
and shorter in the delivery.”

The sexes, as will be seen by the following descriptions, differ very considerably in colour; the female is
also much smaller than her mate.

Forehead, face, and front of the neck white; on the occiput a patch of black; back of the neck golden-
buff, separated from the white by a narrow line of black; upper part of the body and the scapulars glossy
chocolate-brown ; under surface similar, but of a very much deeper hue; wings white, the spurious wing-
feathers tipped with chocolate-black, the two outer quills entirely chocolate-black, the next chocolate-black
with a large mark of white along the basal portion of the inner web, the six succeeding white, margined
and tipped with chocolate-black ; outer secondaries white; inner ones white, with a large patch of brown on
the basal portion of the inner web; tail deep chocolate-black ; bill, legs and feet varying in colour from deep
green to a pale sickly pea-green ; eyes dark brown; spur on the shoulder horn-colour.

The female and young male have the head and upper surface glossy mottled light and dark brown, some
of the feathers being banded with freckles of black ; wing-coverts lighter brown, crossed with freckled bands
of dark brown ; lores, and a broad irregular band passing down each side the neck and uniting on the breast
in a gorget-like form, of a deep brown, mottled on the breast with buffy-white ; from behind the eye down
the side of the neck (behind the black band) passes a stripe of deep buff; chin and cheeks white; centre of
the breast creamy-white; primaries white, at the base largely tipped with chocolate-brown ; secondaries
white ; under surface and thighs white; centre tail-feathers light brown, the remainder white, mottled with
brown down the centre ; eyes dark brown ; legs and feet pale green.

The front figure in the accompanying Plate is the size of life.

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