NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK—BAKER. 477 
ward at the approach of cold weather. In the park they remain out 
until it is so cold that their pond freezes over, when they are picked 
up bodily and taken in a cart to the protection of a house. 
The whooping crane seen in plate 40 became very much attached 
to this group of pelicans, and also very tame. When they were trans- 
ferred to their winter quarters, he followed on behind the cart of his 
own accord, fearing that he might be left behind. There must have 
been something unusually attractive about this crane, for when, one 
season, he was placed in the flying cage, a young demoiselle crane, of 
a totally different species, became his inseparable companion. 
THE FLAMINGOES. 
Another very interesting water bird is the flamingo, formerly breed- 
ing on the Florida coast, but now rarely seen there. Two large colo- 
nies have been found on one of the Bahama islands. Other species 
exist in India and in southern Europe and northern Africa. It is 
preeminently a wading bird, as, with its long legs, it stands 4 or more 
feet high. It has a most peculiar beak, that looks asif it had been 
bent downward about the middle, and both jaws are fringed with 
little platelets, by means of which the bird strains out the water after 
it has scooped up from the muddy bottom the mollusks and water 
plants that constitute its food. The body plumage is a beautiful 
rosy pink, which, unfortunately, has a tendency to fade in captive 
birds. 
It is only quite recently that the nesting habits of the flamingo have 
been known. It was formerly supposed that, finding a difficulty in 
accommodating its long legs, the bird built up a hillock of convenient 
height and then sat upon it astride while incubating. This bizarre 
idea is now believed to be without foundation. 
THE SWANS. 
From the most ancient times the swan has been famed for its 
beauty and grace. It does not appear to advantage on land, as its 
widely set legs, meant for propulsion in water, give it a waddling gait; 
but when floating at ease, it is one of the most elegant of birds. The 
gpecies shown in plate 41 is the European white or mute swan, so 
called because it has no singing note. It will, however, hiss like a 
goose when attacked. The poets from Homer down have ascribed 
to it the faculty of singing just before death, and Plato makes Socrates 
say, referring to his own approaching doom, that they sing not from 
sadness, but rather from joy, because they feel themselves to be 
immortal and about to return to Apollo. It is indeed probable that 
the bird in a wild state has a trumpet-like call. These birds have 
regularly nested in the park each year, the female incubating the eggs 
while the male mounts guard near by to drive away intruders. Even 
