392 ANSERES. ANATID^. 



and falling tides. Here the Flamingoes flock and 

 feed. They arrange themselves in what seem to he 

 lines, in consequence of their finding their food 

 along the edges of these shallows ; and though it is 

 true that whilst their heads are down, and they are 

 cluttering with their bills in the water, they have 

 one of their number on the watch, standing erect, 

 with his long neck turning round to every point, 

 ready to sound the alarm on the apprehension of 

 danger, — what appears to be a studied distribution of 

 themselves back to back, as some observers describe 

 their arrangement, is nothing but their regardless 

 turning about in their places, inwardly and outward- 

 ly, at a time when all are intent on making the most 

 of the stores which the prolific waters are yielding. 



" The vessel I was with on the coast of Cuba was 

 loading timber. Our raftsmen brought us from 

 Juanita, a town on the Rio Conta to which the 

 tidal influences of the sea extend, a pair of Fla- 

 mingoes. I was struck with their attitudes, with 

 the excellent adaptation of their two-fold character 

 of waders and swimmers, to their habits, w^hile stand- 

 ing and feeding in the sort of shoal which we made 

 them in a large tub upon deck. We w^ere here 

 able to observe their natural gait and action. With 

 a firm erectness, like a man treading a wine press, 

 they trod and stirred the mashed biscuits, and 

 junked fish, with which we fed them ; and plied 

 their long lithe necks, scooping with their heads 

 reversed, and bent inwardly towards their trampling 

 feet. The bill being crooked, and flattened for 

 accommodation to this reversed mode of feeding, when 



