2 2A Scott on Flamingoes near Cape Sable, Florida. [July 



to rise and soon they were all in full flight, passing out of the bay 

 and over the point of land to the east in long lines and in V-shaped 

 parties, recalling to mind the flight of Wild Geese. If the color on 

 the water was novel, that of the flock while in the air was truly sur- 

 prising, a cloud of flame-colored pink, like the hues of a brilliant 

 sunset. As far as we could descry the birds, the color was the 

 great conspicuous feature. Looked at through the glass, while 

 in flight, the individuals composing the flock were seen to be 

 mostly adults. I saw only a small division of the lighter 

 colored immature birds. These seemed to have their own par- 

 ticular position in the flock, and on this and subsequent occa- 

 sions, when seen, these younger individuals were always alone. 

 As nearly as could be estimated there were at least one 

 thousand birds in this flock, and of these all but about fifty ap- 

 peared to be adults. 



After the flock had disappeared and had seemingly settled in 

 the second of the bays, we allowed an hour or more to elapse be- 

 fore trying to approach them again. Then I took a stand on the 

 end of the point that separated the first two bays, hoping to get a 

 nearer look at the flock, should they return, when disturbed, to 

 their first feeding place. One of my aids was also posted at what 

 appeared to be another point of crossing for the birds, and the 

 boat started toward the point where we believed the flock to have 

 alighted. This time it was getting late in the afternoon, the birds 

 were much tamer, and Mr. Henry W. Cook, who went after them in 

 the boat, said that they were very loth to leave, and that the 

 flock alighted twice after taking wing, before they finally flew, 

 and this time again to the eastward and presumably into the third 

 of the bays alluded to. Even then a considerable contingent, a 

 hundred or more, did not forsake the second bay, but alighted in 

 very shoal water where it was not possible to approach in the 

 boat. So we left them after the first day, not having fired a shot, 

 but having had a very good look at them, and having gained 

 some idea of their habits when feeding and when alarmed. 



The next morning on reaching the first bay, as soon as I was 

 sure that the large flock was again feeding, the boats were con- 

 cealed in the bushes, and for three hours I watched the flock with 

 the glass, first having crawled along the shore as near as I could 

 without creating alarm, so that I had a very good opportunity of 

 watching them. 



