(D. S. U. ZtaturaUs 



PUBLISHED BY 



THE BIOLOGICAL CLUB OF THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY 



Vol. U DECEMBER, 1900. No. 2 



FEEDING HABITS OF THE SCAELET FLAMINGO. 



J. C. HAMBIiETON. 



One of the favorite winter haunts of Phoenicopterus ignipalliatus 

 is found on the sandy beaches that abound on the west coast of 

 South America, at about latitude 42° South. 



On the north coast of the large island of Chiloe, there are several 

 places of this sort where these beautiful birds may be seen in flocks 

 of hundreds during the months of June, July and August, the winter 

 months in that region. 



I remember the first time I walked over one of their favorite 

 resorts. It was on the Pudeto river, near the small town of Ancud. 

 The tides here are rather high owing to the formation of the bay, 

 and as a consequence it enters the river and floods great stretches of 

 sand that border the left bank. As the tide goes out the flamingos 

 may be seen here hj hundreds. The first time I visited the place 

 the tide had been out some hours and there were no birds to be seen. 

 I was disapiDointed for the trip had been made for that special 

 purpose. 



However my attention was soon attracted to long rows of small 

 hillocks of sand, or rather, to be more exact, circvilar ditches in the 

 sand that appeared to have been made while the water was still 

 present. These were about two or two and one-half feet in diameter 

 by five or six inches wide and three or four inches deep. This, of 

 course, gave the central portion the appearance of a small hill about 

 eigliteen or twenty inches in diameter. Upon inquiry I could get no 

 information — no one had any idea how or by whom they had been 

 made. 



A few days later the mystery was solved wdien a second visit 

 was made to the place at a more propitious moment. 



Upon approaching to within a few hundred yards of where a 

 regiment of these scarlet beauties was lined up, tlie birds took flight 

 and it was then that I discovered who were the authors of my mys- 

 terious little hills. 



By subsequent observations I found that the birds took their 

 stand in the water when it was about a foot and a half deep, and at 

 more or less regular intervals about eight or ten feet apart. Here 



