T H E F L A M I N G O. 93 



touch the ground; in this pofition he appears, as it were, landing on its 

 head. In this manner it paddles its fcez, to attraft the water, mud, &c. 

 and their inhabitants ; and moves the bill about, and feizes whatever fifh 

 or infect happens to offer. They eat fmall fiflies, fhell-fifh, fifh-fpawn, and 

 water infects, where there are plenty. When tame, eat bread, Sec. which 

 they foak in'water ; fear cold, and come fo clofe to a fire as to fcorch 

 their legs ; fleep (landing on one leg, the other drawn up under the belly, 

 the head turned back under the oppofite wing. 



Their time of breeding is according to the climate; in North America 

 they breed in our fummer ; on the other fide the line they take the mod 

 favourable feafon of the year. They build their nefts in extenfive marfhes, 

 and where fecure from furprize. The neft is raifed from the furface of 

 the pool about a foot and a half, formed of mud fcraped up together, 

 and hardened by the fun, or the heat of the bird's body :,it refembles 

 a truncated cone, or one of the pots which we fee placed on chimneys ; on 

 the top it is hollowed out ; in this cavity the female lays her eggs, with- 

 out any lining but the well-cemented mud that forms the fides of the 

 building. She lays two eggs ; and as her legs are immoderately long, 

 fhe ftraddles on the neft, while her legs hang down, one on each fide, 

 into the water ; her body, properly fpeaking, does not enter the neft, but 

 rather her rump, while her tail covers it. 



The young aie long before they fly, but they run with amazing fwifc- 

 nefs : they fufter themfelves to be carried home, and are tamed very eafi- 

 ly ; in five or fix days they become familiar, eat out of the hand, and 

 drink a furprifing quantity of fea-water, which is indifpenfable to them ; 

 but are not reared without great difficulty ; generally pine away for 

 want of their natural fupplies, and die in a fliort time. While young, 

 their colours are very different from the lively tints of their kind. In 

 the firft year their plumage is white, mixed with grey ; in the fecond 

 year the whole body is white, with here and there a flight tint of fcarlet j 

 and the great covert feathers of the wings are black : the third year the 

 bird acquires all its beauty. 





THE 



