KEY TO THE WATER BIRDS OF FLORIDA. 



241 



I know of 



and Virginia, and occasionally^ wanders as far south as Florida 



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



brought into Jacksonville in tlie winter of 1894-5. 



ORDER ODONTOGLOSS^. 



Lamellirostral Grallatores. 



Family PIICENICOPTERID.F:. Flamingoes. 



Genus PHCENICOPTERUS Linn. 



PHCENICOPTERUS RUBER 

 American Flamingo. 



Linn. 



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, 



This species occurs on the coast of trop- 

 ical and sub-tropical x^merica. 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 lavs 

 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. 



