286 BRANCH CHORDATA 



Order VI. Odontoglos'sae. The American flamingo, of the 

 warm parts of the Atlantic coast, is our representative of this 

 order. It is a large, web-footed, long-necked, wading bird. 

 The color varies from rose to vermilion. It has a heavy, bent, 

 lamellated bill, with which it scoops up and crushes small mol- 

 lusks and crustaceans, on which it feeds. Its webbed feet are 

 used more for support in walking on the soft mud than for swim- 



Fig. 233. Ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris); 17 inches. (From speci- 

 men.) 



ming. Flamingoes nest in colonies. A colony visited by Mr. 

 Chapman contained upward of two thousand nests. One or 

 two eggs make up a clutch. The voice is a vibrant honking, 

 like that of a wild goose. 



Order VII. Hero'diones. This order is represented by such 

 birds as the storks, herons, ibises, and spoon-bills. They are 

 long-billed, long-necked, long-legged, wading birds, with short 

 tails and broad, rounded wings. They frequent the water and 



