POSITION OF FLAMINGO 



particular as are some birds. A late President of the 

 Society, the Earl of Derby, recorded that in 1843 a black 

 swan bred with a common European swan, and produced 

 parti-coloured offspring. Finally, its advantages as an 

 addition to our ornamental water-fowl is not lessened by 

 its comparative longevity. It has been stated to live in 

 captivity for no less than fifteen years, plus a consider- 

 able number of months. There is not the least doubt 

 that the reader of these lines will find himself able to 

 examine more than one black swan in the Society's 

 Gardens at any time. 



FLAMINGOES 



Although no one would be likely to confuse the 

 flamingo with any other bird, it may be just as well to 

 set down definitely the various features by which it is to 

 be separated from birds in general. Its neck is long and 

 the legs are long. The bill has lamellated edges as in 

 ducks, but the lower half of the bill is heavier than the 

 upper part, and the whole bill is bent in the middle at 

 right angles. The three front toes are webbed ; the big 

 toe is quite small and useless as a toe. As to whether 

 the flamingo is a long-legged duck or a duck-billed stork 

 opinions differ. Professor Huxley called its group by 

 the non-compromising name of Amphimorpha, implying 

 a midway position, in which safe mediocrity we shall 

 leave it. It seems to be clear that when an animal gets 

 long legs it has also to have a long neck, or else like the 

 elephant a trunk : for otherwise it cannot reach the 

 ground. This seems almost an unnecessary pair of 

 changes, the resultant being merely a doubling, as it 

 were, of the original condition. It is almost like speak- 

 ing of one half as two-fourths. The length of neck in 

 birds, it may be remarked, is not, like that of mammals, 

 accomplished without increase of the neck vertebrae. 

 The flamingo has more neck vertebrae than a sparrow. 



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