The head is white with black occiput, the neck golden behind and white in front, with an intervening black lateral stripe; the wings are mainly white, with curious filamentous appendages to the attenuated blackish outer primaries; the four median feathers of the dark brown tail are enormously elongated and decurved. The winter and immature plumage is almost entirely bronzy-brown, with white under surface crossed by a black gorget; but the young have a rufous head. [Illustration: FIG. 61.–Indian Jaçana. _Hydrophasianus chirurgus._ × ¼.] All the members of this Family frequent lakes and swamps, whether inland or near the coast, _Hydrophasianus chirurgus_ occurring at considerable elevations; while at least that species, _Parra jacana_, and _Metopidius indicus_, are gregarious in winter. On their favourite lagoons, bordered by a dense fringe of aquatic plants, these active birds may be seen gracefully striding or running upon the floating leaves of water-lilies and like plants, as their long toes easily enable them to do. When danger threatens they crouch or submerge themselves partially, _Hydralector_ being perhaps the best diver, where all are good. Tame when unmolested, they rise reluctantly, scuttling over the water with {300}trailing legs after the fashion of a Moor-hen, or fluttering and gliding in turn to the nearest shelter at a good pace. On the ground the gait is easy. Small parties of _Parra jacana_ are said to gather together when feeding, and to utter quick, excited cries, while going through a singular performance or dance, with outstretched, agitated wings and alternate slow and fluttering movements.[195] Some species are especially quarrelsome; _Microparra_ has a habit of bobbing its head up and down like a Plover; the male of _Parra jacana_ is particularly sedulous in warning the female from the nest; and both parents commonly "sham wounded" to protect their young. The cry is loud and harsh, or mewing in _Hydrophasianus_; the food consists of insects, molluscs, seeds, and roots; the nest is a small cup, or not uncommonly a large mass, of aquatic herbage, placed in grass or rushes, or on floating vegetation. The four beautiful eggs are more or less pear-shaped, and are glossy buff, olive, green, or brown, thickly covered with fantastic scrawls, and occasionally with black or brown blotches. _Metopidius indicus_, however, is said to lay as many as ten, while those of _Hydrophasianus_ are plain brown or green. A fossil Limicoline form, _Palaeotringa_, occurs in the Cretaceous rocks of New Jersey; France furnishes _Limosa_ and _Tringa_ from the Eocene, _Camascelus_ (allied to the Plovers) from the transition beds, _Milnea_ (near _Oedicnemus_), _Tringa_, _Himantopus_, and _Numenius_ from the Miocene. The same formation in both France and Germany provides _Helornis_ (akin to _Limicola_), and _Totanus_; the Pliocene of Italy the latter; _Gallinago_ is found in the Chatham Islands; _Charadrius_ in North America.