THE HABITS OF THE FLAMINGO. 



Flamingoes inhabit the margins of lakes and ponds, more rarely 

 the sea-shore. They feed on worms, molluscs, and the spawn of 

 fishes, which they capture by the following stratagem : placing their 

 long neck and head in such a position that the upper mandible of 

 their bill is the lowest, they stir the mud about in every direction, 

 and easily succeed in disturbing the small fish which have settled in 

 it, and capturing them while blended with the thick sediment. They 

 also use their feet for working the ooze and detaching the fry and 

 spawn, to which they are partial. They love company, and live in 

 flocks, which are subject to strict discipline. When they are fishing 

 they draw themselves up into long, straight, and regular files, pro- 

 tected by sentinels whose office it is to give a signal of alarm on the 

 approach of danger. If any cause for uneasiness should arise, the 

 scout-birds give a piercing cry, not unlike the note of a trumpet, and 

 the whole flock immediately wing their way to a place of security. 



Flamingoes are very shy and timid, and shun all attempts of man 

 to approach them ; the vicinity of animals, however, they disregard. 

 Any one who is acquainted with this fact can take advantage of it, 

 for, by dressing himself up in the skin of a horse or an ox, he 

 can effect immense slaughter among these beautiful creatures. Thus 

 disguised, the sportsman may shoot them down at his ease, so long 

 as their enemy is unrecognised ; the noise of the gun only stupefies 

 them, so that they refuse to leave, although their companions are 

 dropping down dead around them. 



Some authors have asserted that the Flamingo makes use of its 

 long neck as a third leg, walking with its head resting on the ground 

 like a foot. The fact that has doubtless given rise to this supposition 

 is the position of the neck, necessitated by its peculiar method of 

 seeking food. We are told about a Flamingo reared in captivity 

 which, being accidentally deprived of one of its limbs, found out a 

 remedy for its infirmity by walking on one leg and helping itself along 

 by means of its bill, using the latter as a crutch ; the master of the 

 bird, noticing this, fitted it with a wooden leg, which it used with the 

 greatest success. But this story, which applies very well to a domes- 

 ticated bird which was maimed, and consequently under peculiar con- 

 ditions, in no way invalidates our former observations. 



The Flamingo makes itself a nest which is as original as its own 

 personal appearance. It consists of a truncated cone, about twenty 

 inches in height, and formed of mud dried in the sun. At the 

 summit of this little hillock it hollows out a shallow cavity, in which 

 the female lays two eggs, rather elongated in shape, and of a dead 

 white colour. When she is incubating she sits astride on this novel 



