size of a tame goose, but it has a shorter neck, 

 and a longer tail and wings ; the feet are shaped 

 like those of the European goose. The male and 

 female appear to be strongly attached to each 

 other ; they keep in pairs, and are never to be 

 met with, like other aquatic birds, in large 

 flocks. During the breeding season they retire 

 to the sea shore, where the female usually lays 

 eight white eggs in a hole which she makes in 

 the sand. 



The flamingo (phsnicopterus Chilensis) is one 

 of the most beautiful birds of Chili. It fre- 

 quents only the fresh waters, and is distin- 

 guished by its size and the beautiful flame-co- 

 lour of its back and wings, which produces a 

 most pleasing effect when contrasted with the 

 pure white of the rest of its plumage. Its length 

 from the tip of the bill to the end of the claws, 

 is five feet, but the body itself does not exceed a 

 foot in length ; it has a small oblong head, deco- 

 rated with a kind of crest ; the eyes are small 

 but lively; the bill denticulated, a little bent to- 

 wards the point, about five inches long, and co- 

 vered with a reddish pellicle ; the feet have four 

 toes, three forward, and one behind ; the tail is 

 short and rounded, and the wings arc of a length 

 proportioned to the size of its body; the quills 

 are perfectly white, while those of the flamingos 

 of the other parts of America and Africa, arc 

 black. It lias been said, that when young thesy 



