PHCENICONAIAS MINOR 11 



species, and he adds that he examined the huge series of flamingo 

 eggs in the Frere Hall Museum, Karachi, but failed to detect any 

 so small. There is no reason why the egg should not belong to P. 

 minor, and Barnes was so careful in the statements he made, that 

 this egg is more likely to belong to that bird than to P. roseus. 



General Habits. — It seems likely that none of the various species 

 of flamingoes migrate to any great distance, and some, as we know, 

 are practically permanent residents in the countries they inhabit. 

 In Vol. vi. of ' Stray Feathers ' Hume has the following note on 

 this beautiful bird : — 



" We know but little yet of this species. I ascertained that it 

 occurred in Scind in the early part of the hot weather. Captain 

 Feilden shot it in July in Secunderabad. It has been seen on the 

 great Majuffgarh Jheel, twenty miles north of Delhi, during the cold 

 season ; and Mr. Adams has given us full accounts of its occurrence 

 in great numbers, but irregularly, at the Sambhar Lake. We have 

 no record of its occurrence in any other part of Jodhpore, or in 

 Kutch, or in Kathiawar." 



In habits, the Lesser Flamingo seems to differ in no way from 

 its larger cousin, and is just as wary a bird as the latter. It is on 

 the Sambhar Lake alone, perhaps, that it has, as a species by itself, 

 been observed in any number in India. There it was found to be 

 an extremely wide-awake bird. Even in the middle of the day it 

 rested well away from all cover, and was most difficult of approach. 

 It feeds in the manner usual to the genus — that is to say, in groups, 

 the formation of which is generally a long line. This line slowly 

 advances through the shallow water, the long necks of the birds 

 covering a radius of some two feet or so, as heads downwards they 

 shovel and rake about in all directions in search of food. 



