130 THE ODYSSEY OF AN ANIMAL COLLECTOR 
the water and the lake is devoid of vegetation. A close inspection 
will reveal a very minute crustacean in the water, hardly larger 
than the larvae of mosquitoes, which is in myriads and is probably 
their main diet. These flamingoes are only half the size of the 
Greater Flamingo and belong to a different genus. In the latter 
species the upper mandible fits over the lower, whereas in the 
lesser flamingo it fits zvto the lower. 
We had not much time to experiment in the capture of these 
birds, for it was a long car ride and I had to be back well before 
dark to see that my sunbirds had sufficient liquid food. It seemed 
so easy to trap a few specimens out of the many thousands, but 
then we had not as yet pitted our wits against those of the wily 
flamingo. 
When we approached the lake the pink mass rose with a mighty 
roar of wings and made off for the other end. By pressing poles 
into the mud I set several long duck nets so that they jutted out 
from the shore some distance in the water, thinking that as the 
swarm came back following the shore line, some at least must get 
caught. All was ready and I concealed myself nearby while the 
other two drove the birds back. The nets might well have been 
red flags judging by the uncanny way the birds avoided them. 
Unfortunately, a slight breeze had sprung up which caused the 
nets to flutter, but even the sight of a thin sapling stuck in the 
water, where none had been before, was enough to make the 
flamingoes too wary for words. This move was a complete failure. 
I then tried setting a line of snares above water supported by thin 
sticks, thinking that at least a few individuals would be stupid 
enough to walk into them if driven slowly. My comrades had 
another walk of several miles, and back came the cloud of fla- 
mingoes. They settled in thousands near the snares, and by our 
appearing at odd points at some distance away the birds were 
slowly driven backwards and forwards past the snares; but each 
time they walked round them by going into deeper water, their 
eyes glued on the thin sticks projecting above water as if these 
were some new kind of aquatic predator and not to be trusted. 
Our efforts were completely frustrated as the winds got stronger 
and stronger, setting up currents which upset our efforts to snare 
the birds by the legs under water. This was one of those unsuc- 
