68 BIRD GALLEltV. 



representative of a dibtinct subfamily, witli the toes ouly half-webbed 

 and the hind toe very long and on a level with the other toes. Another 

 striking semipalmate form, also the type of a different subfamily, is the 

 Cape Barren Goose (Ccreopsis noiue hollundia) (784) from South-east 

 Australia and Tasmania. 

 ICeiitii' j]^ (^]^g large centre Case in the middle of the Gallery will be found 

 the Swans, which constitute the last subfamily, Ct/z/iiince. Three species 

 visit the British Islands, viz. the Mute or Polish Swan {Cijymis olor) (785), 

 commonly seen on ornamental waters, the 'Wliooper and Bewick's Swans 

 (C. niusicus [Til) and C. beincki (788)). Other forms exhibited are 

 the North-American Trumpeter Swan (C. buccinator) (786), the 

 South-American Black-neeked Swan (C. mclaiiconjplms) (790), and, 

 most graceful of all, the Australian Black Swan [Cltenopsis atrata) (789), 

 which may be seen with its cygnets in the middle of winter on the 

 ornamental waters in the Loudon parks. Lastly the Coscoroba 

 Swan (Cuscuroba candidu) (791;, from the southern parts of South 

 America, which forms a connecting link between the Swans and 

 Geese. 



Older XVII. PHffiNICOPTERIFOKMES. 



Family PHCE.N'icoPTEitiD-i;. Fl.\mingoes. 



[Case 4:2 The Flamingoes, with their enormously long neck and legs and ciiriou.- 

 and decurved bill specially adajited for sifting their food, are so familiar that 

 Case.l *^^y require no description. They are found over the temperate and 

 tropical regions of both the Old and New Worlds, the best known being 

 the Common Flamingo (Phcenicopterus ro.teus) (792). This bird is a 

 migrant to Southern Europe and a rare straggler to Britain during the 

 summer, and usually frequents the brackish and salt-water marshes near 

 the sea-coast, where it congregates in large colonies and builds mud- 

 nests which rise like little islands some inches above the surface of the 

 water [see group in Centre Case] . It was long supposed that the birds 

 incubated their single egg by standing astride their nests with their feet 

 resting in the water, but it has now been ascertained that their legs 

 are doubled up under them and their loug necks gracefully curled awav 

 over their backs. As in the Ducks, the young are able to run as soon 

 as they are hatched. Other forms shown are the Ruddy Flamingo 

 {F. ruber) (793) from Tropical America, and the Small Flamingo 

 [P/'.cenicunaias minor) (794), which ranges from Africa to ludia. 



