1895. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 529 



upon Aldabra told me that the rails were very destructive in tlie gardens 

 aud also ate the fowls' eggs, but so far as T myself observed they do no 

 damage whatever. They are extremely cjuic^k in their movements, dart- 

 ing aud dodging about the jungle with great activity. They are not 

 absolutely tlightless, but use their wings to assist them in leaping, being 

 able to jump aud flutter from 2 to 5 feet oft' the ground. In the open 

 they can easily be caught by a num, but once in the jungle no terrier 

 can catch them. 



"On my lirst arrival in Aldabra, in September, a few pairs Mere 

 bleeding, but the nuijority did not breed until November and Decem- 

 ber, when a heavy rainfall occurred. Sometimes the nest is placed in 

 a shallow cavity in the coral rock, being simply a few dry leaves and 

 sticks; sometimes it is a large loose mass as big as a half bushel bas- 

 ket, a foot or two from the ground and placed in a dense tangle of grass 

 aud euphorbia. In this case the cavity is very deep, only the head 

 being visible as the bird sits upon her eggs. The number of eggs laid, 

 as a rule, is three; one nest contained four; some were said to some- 

 times contain more, but I did not meet with any. I was unable to 

 ascertain the period of incubation or to obtain any very young speci- 

 mens. The hen sits very closely and can scarcely be driven off her 

 eggs, returning immediately on the departure of the intruder. 



"I am told that rails swarm upon the Cosmoledo Atoll and on Astove, 

 abont sixty miles eastward from Aldabra. I fear that they are doomed 

 to early extinction on Aldabra from the wild cats which will eventually 

 reach the other islands of the group or be introduced from Grand 

 Terre." (Abbott, MS.) 



Family PHCENICOPTERID.E. 



17. PHGENICOPTERUS ERYTHR/EUS, J. Verreaux (?) 



Five specimens, October 21-28. 



These specimens are very doubtfully referred to P. erytlira'ns^ since 

 in several resi)ects they do not agree with any description of that form 

 which 1 liave been able to consult. For example, the plumage of the 

 head, neck, and greater part of the body is white, or pinkish white, and 

 not rose color or rose-red, as given in descriptions of P. erijthrwus. 

 They certainly are not P. antiquorum, Avith good specimens of which I 

 have been able to compare the Aldabra birds; and they agree even less 

 with descriptions of P. )iiinor than with those of P. erythrwus. 



"Creole name, ^Flammant.'' Resident and doubtless breed. Inhabit 

 the sonth and east sides of tbe lagoon of Aldabra in flocks of twenty 

 to sixty individuals. There are altogether probably from five hundred 

 to a thousand in the island. They are found in no other island of these 

 seas except Madagascar. The lagoon is bordered by mangrove swamps 

 and wide stretches of mnd flats bare at low tide, attbrding the flamin- 

 goes a capital place of residence. They seem to be rarely seen in any 

 other part of the island." (Abbott, MS.) 

 Proc. N. M. 95 3i 



