416 



LAMELLIROSTKAL &11ALLAT0EES — PHOENICOPTERI. 



Length, about 42.00-48.00 inches ; extent, 64.00-66.00 ; wing, 15.30-16.50 ; culmen, about 

 5.20 ; bare portion of tibia, 10.00 ; tarsus, 12.00-14.50 ; middle toe, 3.20. 



Perfectly adult examples are almost uniform fine vermUion-scarlet, as described above ; less 

 mature individuals are paler, the neck and body light vermilion-pinli, the wings light vermilion- 

 scarlet. The very young bh'ds are said to be covered with a white cottony ilo\vn. 



#if ' f 



The American Flamingo lias small claim to be ranked as a bird of the North 

 American fauna, being found only in the extreme portion of Florida ; and, even there, 

 the constant persecutions to which it is subjected must, by the resulting exter- 

 mination of the species within a very few years, put an end to even this limited 

 claim. This Flamingo is more or less abundant in several of the West India Islands, 

 most especially Cuba and the Bahama Islands ; and a single specimen has been 

 noticed in the Bermudas. 



The late Dr. Gustavus Wiirdemann visited Florida in 1857, and made some inter- 

 esting observations relative to this species, which were published, after his death, in 

 the "Annual Keport of the Smithsonian Institution" for 1860. He speaks of the 

 Flamingo as being known to but few of the inhabitants of Florida, and as being con- 

 fined to the immediate neighborhood of the most southern portion of that penin- 

 sula — Cape Sable and the Keys in its vicinity. It existed formerly near Indian 

 Eiver, but had been driven from that region. On the west coast of Florida it ranges 

 as far north as Cape Romano, where it was seen every year, but was not known to 

 breed there, and was supposeil to nest among the fresh-water lakes near Cape Sable. 



Having been told that Flamingoes were taken during the latter part of June and 

 early in July, when moulting, in large numbers by wreckers. Dr. Wiirdemann sought 

 for an opportunity to witness their capture, and with this view accompanied a small 

 party early in August. We give Dr. Wiirdemann's account, only abridging his narra- 

 tive somewhat. After a while the Captain shouted, " The Flamingoes ! " But it was 

 not until an advance of another mile had been made that the Doctor was able to per- 

 ceive two red spots, apparently under two distant Keys ; these proved to be large 

 flocks of this bird, which started u\) when the yiarty came within half a mile of 

 them, leaving six of their number behind, which were moulting, and unable to fol- 

 low. Paddling as fast as they could, the men soon came up with these birds, which 

 employed both wings and legs in endeavoring to escape. The Captain seized one 

 after another and threw them into the boat, taking the whole six. They afterward 

 overtook other flocks of the Flamingoes in a similar manner, until the small canoe 

 was loaded down with more than a. hundred of these unfortunate Ijirds, packed away 



