258 AMERICAN FLAMINGO. 



in regard to the habits of the Flamingo, and have obtained the follow- 

 ing information, which will be found, I believe, pretty correct : 1st, 

 They build upon nearly all the Keys to the windward, the nearest of 

 which is called CoUocino Lignas. 2dly, It builds upon the ground. 

 3dli/, The nest is an irregular mass of earth dug in the salt ponds, and 

 entirely surrounded by water. It is scooped up from the immediate 

 vicinity to the height of two or three feet, and is of course hollow at 

 the top. There is no lining, nor any thing but the bare earth. 4:tkly, 

 The number of the eggs is almost always two. When there is one, 

 there has probably been some accident. The time of incubation is not 

 known. The egg is white, and near the size of the Goose's egg. On 

 scraping the shell, it has a bluish tinge. 5tkli/, The colour of the 

 young is nearly white, and it does not attain the full scarlet colour until 

 two years old. 6thli/, When the young first leave the nest, they take 

 to the water, and do not walk for about a fortnight, as their feet are 

 almost as tender as jelly. I do not think it easy to procure an entire 

 nest ; but I am promised some of the eggs, this being the time to pro- 

 cure them. Very truly your obedient servant, 



A. Mallory." 



Another communication is as follows : — " The Flamingo is a kind 



of bird that lives in lagoons having a communication with the sea. 



This bird makes its nest on the shore of the same lagoon, with the 



mud which it heaps up to beyond the level of the water. Its eggs are 



about the size of those of a goose ; it only lays two or three at a time, 



which are hatched about the end of May. The young when they 



break the shell have no feathers, only a kind of cottony down which 



covers them. They immediately betake themselves to the water to 



harden their feet. They take from two to three months before their 



feathers are long enough to enable them to fly. The first year they 



are rose-coloured, and in the second they obtain their natural colour, 



being all scarlet ; half their bill is black, and the points of the wings 



are all black ; the eyes entkely blue. Its flesh is savoury, and its 



tongue is pure fat. It is easily tamed, and feeds on rice, maize-meal, 



&c. Its body is about a yard high, and the neck about half as much. 



The breadth of the nest, with little difference, is that of the crown of j 



a hat. The way in which the female covers the eggs is by standing in 



the water on one foot and supporting its body on the nest. This 



bird always rests in a lagoon, supporting itself on one leg alternately 



