[Central 
Case. | 
[Case 42 
and 
Central 
Case. | 
68 BIRD GALLERY. 
representative of a distinct subfamily, with the toes only 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 (Cereopsis nove hollandie) (184) from South-east 
Australia and Tasmania. 
In the large central Case in the middle of the Gallery will be found 
the Swans, which constitute the last subfamily, Cygnine. Three species 
visit the British Islands, viz. the Mute or Polish Swan (Cygnus olor) (185), 
commonly seen on ornamental waters, the Whooper and Bewick’s Swans 
(C. musicus (181) and C. bewicki (188)). Other forms exhibited are 
the North-American Trumpeter-Swan (C. buccinator) (186), the 
South-American Black-necked Swan (C. melancoryphus) (190), and, 
most graceful of all, the Australian Black Swan (Chenopsis atrata) (189), 
which may be seen with its cygnets in the middle of winter on the 
ornamental waters in the London Parks. Lastly the Coscoroba 
Swan (Coscoroba candida) (191), from the southern parts of South 
America, which forms a connecting link between the Swans and 
Geese. 
Order XVII. PHCANICOPTERIFORMES. 
Family Po@nicopreripm. FLAMINGOES. 
The Flamingoes, with their enormously long neck and legs and curious 
decurved bill specially adapted for sifting their food, are so familiar that 
they 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 (Phe@nicopterus roseus) (192). This bird is a 
migrant to Southern HKurope and a rare straggler to Britain during the 
summer. It usually frequents the brackish and salt-water marshes near 
the sca-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 Central 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 long necks gracefully curled away 
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 
(P. ruber) (198) from ‘Tropical America, and the Small Flamingo 
(Pheniconaias minor) (194), which ranges from Africa to India. 
