Popular Btcttauarn of gnimatelr Mature. 237 



But those finer traits of character, which we 

 are so much accustomed to admire in the 

 higher animals, from their being constantly 

 before our eyes, are not found wanting even 

 among fish." 



I " Aristotle," says Baron Cuvier, in his 

 ' " Lectures on the History of the Natural 

 Sciences," " in his account of fishes, is truly 

 admirable, giving proof of knowledge on 

 many points superior to our own. Amongst 

 the facts which he relates, many are still in 

 doubt ; however, from time to time, new 

 observations teach us the justice of some of 

 his assertions, even of those which seem the 

 most hazardous. He says, for example, that 

 a fish named Phycis makes a nest like birds. 

 For a long time the thing was treated as a 

 fable ; however, very recently, M. Olivi dis- 

 covered that a fish named the Goby (Gobius 

 niger) has similar habits. The male, in the 

 season of love, makes a hole in the sand, 

 surrounds it with fucus, making a true nest, 

 near which his mate waits, and he never 

 leaves his post till the eggs which have been 

 deposited in it are hatched." [The most ex- 

 tensive general work on Fishes is by Cuvier 

 and Valenciennes, while in this country the 

 works of Sir John Richardson, and Messrs. 

 Yarrell and Lowe, are well worthy of study.] 



FLAMINGO. (Phcenicopterm.) Tliis is 

 one of the most remarkable of all the aquatic 

 birds for its size, beauty, and, as some say, 

 also for the delicacy of its flesh. The body of 

 the Flamingo is smaller than that of the 

 Stork ; but, owing to the great length of the 

 neck and legs, it stands nearly five feet high ; 

 and measures six feet from the point of the 

 beak to the tip of the claws. The head is 

 small and round, and furnished with a bill 

 nearly seven inches long, which is higher 

 than it is wide, light and hollow, having a 

 membrane at the base, and suddeniy curved 

 downwards from the middle. The long legs 

 and thighs of this bird are extremely slender 

 and delicate, as is also the neck. The plu- 

 mage is not less remarkable than its figure, 

 being of a bright scarlet. The young differ 

 greatly from the adult, changing their plu- 

 mage frequently, and which does not become 

 fully coloured till the third year. Flamin- 

 goes inhabit the warm climates of Asia, 

 Africa, and America : they live and migrate 

 iu large flocks, frequenting desert sea-coasts 

 and salt marshes. They are extremely shy 

 and watchful : while feeding, they keep 

 together, drawn up artificially in lines, which 

 at a distance resemble those of an army ; 

 and, like many other gregarious birds, they 

 employ some to act as sentinels, for the se- 

 curity of the rest. On the approach of 

 danger, these give warning by a loud sound, 

 like that of a trumpet, which is the signal 

 for the flock to take wing ; and when flying 

 they form a triangle. 



Their food appears to be molluscous ani- 

 mals, spawn, and insects, which they fish up 

 by means of their long neck, turning their 

 head in such a manner as to take advantage 

 of the crook in their beak. Their nest is of 

 a singular construction : it is formed of mud 

 in the shape of a hillock, with a cavity at 

 the top, and of such a height as to admit of 



the bird's sitting on it, or rather standing, 

 her long legs being placed one on each side 

 at full length ; thus situated, the female 

 generally lays two or three white eggs some- 

 what larger than those of a goose. The 

 young do not fly until they have nearly at- 

 tained their full growth, though they can 

 run very swiftly a few days after their exclu- 

 sion from the shell. In some parts these birds 

 are tamed, principally for the sake of their 

 skins, which are covered with a very fine 

 down, and applicable to all purposes for 

 which those of the swan are employed. 

 When taken young, they soon grow familiar; 

 but they are not found to thrive in the do- 

 mesticated state, as they are extremely im- 

 patient of cold, and apt to decline from the 

 want of their natural food. They are caught 

 by snares, or by making use of tame ones. 

 There are two species : 1. Phcenicopteinis an- 

 tiquorum ; which is of a rose colour, witli red 

 wings, the quills being black : these inhabit 

 the warm regions of the old continent, mi- 

 grating in summer to southern, and some- 

 times to central Europe : these beautiful 

 birds were much esteemed by the Romans, 

 who often used them in their grand sacrifices 

 and sumptuous entertainments ; and such of 

 the luxurious emperors as wished to indulge 

 in the very excess of epicurism, were wont 

 to gratify their guests with a dish of Fla- 

 mingos' tongues ! 2. Phrenicopterus ruber; 

 deep red ; with block quills ; which are pe- 

 culiar to tropical America, migrating in the 

 summer to the southern, but rarely to the 

 middle states. 



Some interesting particulars of this species 

 are given by Mr. Gosse's correspondent, Mr. 

 Hill, who observes that when he visited the 

 island of Cuba he had excellent oportunities 

 of noticing their habits that he was much 

 among the marshes and swamps where the 

 floods of the river and the sea form lakelets, 

 and successively deposit their stores of living 

 atoms, with the rising and falling tides. 

 " Here the Flamingos flock and feed. They 

 arrange themselves in what seem to be lines, 

 in consequence of their finding their food 

 along the edges of these shallows ; and though 

 it is true that whilst their heads are down, 

 and they are cluttering with their bills in the 

 water, they have one of their number on the 

 watch, standing erect, with his long neck 

 turning round to every point, ready to sound 

 the alarm on the apprehension of danger, 

 what appears to be a studied distribution of 

 themselves back to back, as some observers 

 describe their arrangement, is nothing but 

 their regardlessly turning about in their 

 places, inwardly and outwardly, at a time 

 when all are intent on making the most of 

 the stores which the prolific waters are yield- 

 ing." Speaking of a pair of Flamingos 

 which had been captured, and were kept on 

 board the vessel he was in on the coast, he 

 says, " I was struck with their attitudes, with 

 the excellent adaptation of their two-fold 

 character of waders and swimmers ; to their 

 habits, while standing and feeding in the 

 sort of shoal which we made them in a large 

 tub upon deck. We were here able to observe 

 their natural gait and action. With a firm 

 erectuess, like a man treading a wine-press, 



