68 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Proc. 4th Ser. 



In the lagoons I have seen them walking both in long Indian 

 files, and, when disturbed, in compact bunches. Early one 

 morning we came upon a flock of twenty-eight in the lagoon at 

 Cormorant Bay, Charles Island. The placid surface of the 

 lagoon, overshadowed by a high and steep mountain on its 

 southeast side and surrounded by rocks and trees, together 

 with the beautiful roseate birds following one another in solemn 

 procession the whole length of the lagoon, made a very at- 

 tractive picture. 



At a lagoon four or five miles northwest of Sullivan Bay, 

 James Island, on July 28, an adult bird was found without 

 flight feathers.^ New ones were just appearing, which were 

 very tender, bleeding profusely when bruised. This bird was 

 a fast runner, racing up and down the smooth beach of the 

 lagoon, until finally it was chased into a cul-de-sac. It tried 

 to escape through the brush, but of course tripped and fell, 

 bruising its wings, feet, and bill. It realized its inability to 

 fly, for it did not make any attempt to use its wings until the 

 very last. When carried under the arm it kept its head at a 

 level with mine, and did not try to strike with its heavy bill, 

 but simply looked at me wonderingly. This bird was taken 

 aboard the schooner, where it had great difficulty in standing, 

 owing to the rolling of the vessel. It managed to do so, how- 

 ever, by using its head and neck as a third leg. The same 

 thing was noted later with the young. The head and neck 

 are used in a like manner to assist a bird in steadying itself 

 when arising from a sitting posture. 



As compared with the adults, the young walked clumsily. 

 In running in the shallow water as well as on the land, they 

 kept their wings outspread, flapping them at each step, appar- 

 ently balancing themselves by this means. I saw one stumble, 

 and one youngster, partially in the down, stepped in a hole 

 in the beach and broke one of its tarsi. 



We first saw this species at Cormorant Bay, October 4, 

 when three or four flocks of about a dozen birds each flew by 

 the vessel, having been disturbed by some of the party who 

 had gone ashore. They seemed to be all neck and legs when 

 flying, as they carried those members stretched out hori- 

 zontally. Their wing beats were not rapid, but were moderate 



iCf. Beck. Condor, v. 4. p. 99: v. 6. p. 10: Bonhote, Ibis, 1903, p. 310; Chap- 

 man, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., v. 21, p. 76. 



