504 ^R E D F L A M M A N T. 



XLVII. FLAMMANT. Gen. Birds, LXXXI. 



422. Red. Flamingo, Catejly, i. 73. — Phaenicopterus ruber, Lin. Syfi. 230. — Le Flammant, 



ou le Phenicoptere, Z)«^a^», viii. 475i — PL Enl, 6^. — LathamyVa, 

 — Lev. Mus. 



F 



^L. With the upper mandible extremely convex, ridged, and 

 floping to a point ; the under very deep, and convex on the up- 

 per part; the edges of both furnifhed with numerous teeth: fpace 

 between it and the eyes naked : neck very long : -tall fhort : prima- 

 ries black : all the reft of the plumage of a fine crimfon color j but 

 the European birds, which are the only I have feen, arc rofeate : legs 

 very long ; toes webbed : hind toe very fmall. The attitude is eredt : 

 and its height ufually five feet. 

 Pi.A«Es IN Am'e- Thefe birds inhabit Louijiana*, the Bahama iflands, and thofe of 



RICA. the We/i Indies i and frequent only fait waters. They live in flock?, 



and are uncommonly tame, or rather ftupid. A perfon who can 

 ftand concealed maytfhoot as many as he plcales ; for they will not 

 arife at the report of the gun ; but the furvi-vors will ftand as if afto- 

 niftied : nor will they take warning at the fight of the flain ; but con- 

 tinue on the fpot till moft of them are killed. Such is Catejby% ac- 

 count. But the honeft and intelligent Dampier gives a very different 

 one ; and fays that they are extremely fliv, and very difficult to be 

 fhot. 

 Nests. They build their nefts in fliallow ponds ; and form, for that purpofe, 



with mud, hillocks with a broad bafe, which appear about a foot and 

 a half above the water: thefe taper to the top, in which the birds 

 make a hollow for the eggs. They lay two, and cover them with 

 their rump, their legs refting beneath the water. As foon as the 

 young are hatched they run very faft, but cannot fly till they are full 

 grown -f. They are for a long time of a grey color, nor do they attaii) 

 that of red till near two years. 



* Du PratZi ii. 81. -j- Voyages, i. 71. 



They 



