KEY TO THE WATER BIRDS OF PLORIDA. 



241 



and V^irginia, and occasionally wanders as far south as Florida. I know of 

 one or two instances where it has been seen, and a specimen was killed and 

 brought into Jacksonville in the winter of 1894-5. 



ORDER ODONTOGLOSS/E. 



Lamellirostral Grali.atores. 



Family PHO^NICOPTERID.F:. Flamingoes. 



Genus PHCENICOPTERUS Linn. 



PH(ENICOPTERUS RUBER Linn. 

 American Flamingo. 



Adult male: Entire plumage scarlet; most of the 

 primaries black : legs lake red ; terminal half of the 

 bill black ; basal half of lower mandible orange. The 

 female and immature males are lighter colored and 

 paler. 



Length. 52; Wing, 17; Tail, 6.50; Tarsus. 12.50; Bill, 

 5-2S- 



This species occurs on the coast of trop- 

 ical and sub-tropical America. It is a resi- 

 dent in Florida, although seldom seen 

 there. At one time it was abundant but is 

 now only to be found in one or two local- 

 ities. East of Cape Sable there was quite 

 a colony of them, but the place is very diffi- 

 cult of access and they are very shy. This 

 species is still abundant in the Bahama 

 Islands, where I found it breeding. It lays 

 two chalky-white eggs. The nest, which 

 is constructed of mud, is shaped like a 

 sugar-loaf slightly hollowed on the top, and 

 usually from about 14 inches to 20 inches 

 in height. 



