•^;^j, FhAMINOO. 



hud boi'oim- :^iiHii'ifiitl.\ liaidi-ia-.l to Mi|)i«)rt tlK.-ir wi-iglit. Tlic tupsi ,,1' the oM .struotui-es 

 •wore iifiivh iis liiinl iis xUmv, wliilt' iIr- i-utiir fdilicc \vaf< W) firin that we could 

 Avidk oAor tlU" iR'stt*, sti'i)i)iiiii: from out" to iiuotlicT. The whole nesthig ]M'esented a most 

 ])eciiliiU'iii»i)e!inim-e. reminding one of a i)ottei-y, where large inverted potf< had been set 

 o\)t to drv, eitfli being surmounted bv a oballNV white egg. 



Tlie' Flamingos all left the immediate neigliborlnjod of tlie i-uokerv and settled in a 

 large liodv abJUt two miles awav. Oceasionalh- tln-ough tiie day a few would eome baek 

 to reconnoitre, sometimes singly and at other thues in small gnmps. These birds were 

 exeeedingly wary, howexer, and 1 did not sueeeed in getting more than one or two. As 

 nisiiit appvoaohed they began to ei)me in more numerously, and when it was nearly dark 

 some ali"'hted in the Wi.ter s > ]ie<r where 1 was coneealed behind a clump of mangro\e 

 bushes, which furnished the only means of concealment for miles arcnmd. that 1 got 



one or two more. 



While I was in.xpecling the rookery, during the day, 1 discoxereil a single Flamingo 

 that was Standing in the middle of a large lagoon, not far fi-om the rookery. This bird 

 was evidently wounded, for I saw it make several unsueeessfvd efforts to rise. Calling m\ 

 (log I start e<l after it with the idea of eaptiu-ing it alive. As I a])proached, l)y wading 

 through the .sliallow water, it retreated, emerging finally upon the flats on the other side 

 of the lao-oon. Here it could get t)ver the ground faster than 1 could, but as the whole 

 coixntrv was intersected by a net work of creeks and lagoons, it was fi-equently obliged to 

 enter the water, then I had the advantage fori coxdd walk oxer the muddy bottoms faster 

 than the bird could ; thus I managed to keep within ai)out a. hundred xards of it. But in 

 spite of my utmost efforts I could not get nearer, and thus the chase continued until we 

 had "-one between two and three miles, quite out of sight of the rooker\- and of the 

 vessel, when the bii-d came to a Avide, deej) lagoon, uito which I forced it to go ; here it made 

 its wav with comparative slowness on account of the nuiddy bottom, but I also sank 

 until at length 1 was waist deep and C(mld move only with difficulty. Then perceiving 

 that the bird was actually swinnumg but that it xvould soon get into mox^e shallow water 

 I spoke to my obedient dog who had taithfully kept by mv side, telling her to go on. She 

 made a brave dash forwanl, and with her usual intelligence as soon as she came up to the 

 Flamingo managed to drix-e it into shallow water near me where she held it, by putting 

 her paw on its neck, until I came imd captured it. 



This Flamingo, which Avas a female, proved to be one of the most interesting pets 

 that I ever owned and I learned much of the habits of this singulai- species of biitl from 

 her. She Ijecame tame .so rapidly that In the time we reached Nassau, Avhere we went 

 as soon as we could get there, after leaA ing Andreo.s she Avoukl eat readily and Avould 

 follow us about the yard or into the hovxse. We fed her upon lioiled rice and bread 

 soaked in w'ater. She ate it by invertmg her bdl in the vessel in which it was placed ; thus 

 the bend hi the anterior position of the xi]ii)er mandilde came in contact with the bottom 

 of the Avater and the food Avas diinvn into the mouth. When feeding she kept up a 

 champing movement of the mandibles much as is done by Ducks. 



