THE AMERICAN FLAMINGO. 233 



it were every beat of their wings ; and as they were 

 rapidly advancing toward us, Captain D. A. Y., who 

 was aware of my anxiety to procure some, had every 

 man stowed away out of sight, and our gunners in 

 readiness. The pilot, Mr. Egan, proposed to offw the 

 first taste of his ( groceries ' to the leader of the band. 

 He was a first-rate shot, and had already killed many 

 Flamingoes. The birds were now, as I thought, 

 within a hundred and fifty yards ; when suddenly, to 

 our extreme disappointment, their chief veered away, 

 and was of course followed by the rest. Mr. Egan, 

 however, assured us that they would fly round the 

 Key, and alight not far from us, in less than ten 

 minutes ; which in fact they did, although to me these 

 minutes seemed almost hours. 'Now they come/ 

 said the pilot; ' keep low/ This we did ; but, alas ! 

 the Flamingoes were all, as I suppose, very old and 

 experienced birds, with the exception of one ; for on 

 turning round the lower end of the Key, they spied 

 our boat, again sailed away without flapping their 

 wings, and alighted about four hundred yards from 

 us, and upward of one hundred from the shore, on 

 a l soap-flat' of vast extent, where neither boat nor 

 man could approach them." 



20* 



