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BIRDS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 143
A female shot September 8 at Kilometer 80, west of Puerto
Pinasco, Paraguay, had the ovaries enlarged and was near the
period of oviposition. At Rio Negro, Uruguay, on February 18 a
fully grown yolingster was still under the anxious care of its
parents. Although the adults, as demonstrative as avocets under
similar circumstances, fearlessly ran or flew after me with clatter-
ing scolding calls, or when I looked in their direction lay prostrate
with feebly fluttering wings to draw my attention, the young, conspicuous
in its light plumage, watched me suspiciously and kept
well out of range.
Jacanas are silent unless on the alert, when they utter a variety
of grunting calls or a whistled alarm, or when bickering among
themselves give vent to displeasure in scolding, clattering notes.
An adult male, when shot on July 23, had the base of the maxilla,
rictal lappets, and the frontal leaflet mineral red ; rest of bill cinnamon,
becoming more yellow below, and tinged with slate at tip ; iris
A'^ery dark brown; tarsus deep neutral gray; posterior face of crus
tinged with vetiver green ; toes dusky brown.
Family RECURVIROSTRIDAE
HIMANTOPUS MELANURUS Vieillot
Himantopus melanurus Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., vol. 10, 1817, p. 42.
(Paraguay.)
Near Santa Fe, in the Province of Santa Fe, on July 4, 1920, the
stilt was observed in flocks on marshy ground in the lowlands that
border the Rio Parana and on the following day from the train was
noted at intervals in suitable localities between Vera, Santa Fe, and
Charadai, Chaco. On July 26 two came to a lagoon near Las
Palmas, Chaco, but were too wild to allow near approach. Near
Kilometer 80, west of Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay, stilts visited a
lagoon near the ranch house on September 6, 13, and 20, but did not.
frequent it or others near by regularly. As this happened also at
Las Palmas it would appear that they may wander during winter
to some extent. Two were shot at Kilometer 80 on September 6, and
two more on September 20. The Anguete Indians called them keh
tsay a nah^ while in Guarani they were designated as ta too. In
the Chaco stilts were found only about the more open lagoons and
did not occur about those with borders heavily grown with rushes.
In the vicinity of Lavalle, eastern Buenos Aires, stilts were seen
from October 22 to November 15, but were not very common, though
the open ponds and marshes of that region were well suited for their
needs. They were seen on the coastal mud flats at the mouth of the
Rio Ajo. It is probable that increase in grazing and cultivation has
caused a decrease in their numbers, and, as the birds are large and