110 PHCENICOPTEKID^ PHCENICOPTERUS 



sequent persecution, only an occasional straggler is now met with 

 in tbat neighbourhood. 



The following are recorded localities : Cape Colony Cape 

 division (Layard and S. A. Mus.), Saldanha Bay, September (W. L. 

 Sclater), Berg Eiver, September (Stark), November (S. A. Mus.), 

 Bredasdorp division (S. A. Mus.), Knysna (Victorin), Port Elizabeth, 

 fairly common (Brown) ; Natal; Durban harbour, formerly common, 

 now rare (Woodward), Newcastle, February (Woodward) ; Trans- 

 vaal Lake Chrissie in Ermelo district, plentiful and breeding (G. 

 Hutchinson) ; Bechuanaland Lake Ngami, breeding (Andersson) ; 

 German South-west Africa Walvisch Bay, common (Andersson 

 and Fleck), Sandwich harbour, Angra Pequena, Lake Onondara 

 (Andersson) ; Portuguese East Africa Inhambane and Zambesi 

 delta, July (Alexander). 



Habits. The favourite resorts of Flamingoes are mud flats and 

 sand banks along the shores of lagoons or salt water lakes as well as 

 the actual sea shore itself ; here they are to be found in large flocks ; 

 they feed both by day and by night, wading in a line in the shallow 

 water with their long necks bent down searching with their bills 

 for small mollusca and Crustacea ; they also feed on the green con- 

 fervse and sea-grasses which grow so abundantly in these situations. 

 The structure of their bills is admirably adapted for such a purpose, 

 the flat upper mandible forming a digging organ, while with their 

 thick tongue and the filtering lamellae along their lower mandibles 

 they squeeze out the mud and slime, retaining only the nourishing 

 matter. During the heat of the day they usually rest in some 

 secluded spot, supporting themselves on one leg with the long neck 

 curled up under the wing. If disturbed by a shot they rise and fly 

 off, and then it is that the beautiful crimson and black of their wings 

 becomes visible. They swim very well, though preferring to wade. 

 They fly with the neck stretched out in front and the legs behind, 

 which makes a very curious effect, and their voice is a loud croak. 



Andersson states that they leave the coast in February for Lake 

 Ngami and other places in the interior, where they breed, but he 

 does not give any details. The Woodwards were informed by Mr. 

 G. Hutchinson that the Flamingo breeds at Lake Chrissie, in the 

 Transvaal. 



In Southern Spain the nests are in the form of a low inverted 

 cup, built up of mud and vegetable matter, placed either in the 

 shallow water or close by ; the birds sit on the nest with their long 

 legs bent and the joints projecting behind the tail, not straddle- 



