B08Y FLAMINGO. 39 



observed a large flock feeding on the open chott of Waregla. 

 Captain Loche includes it in his Catalogue of Algerian Birds; and 

 Mr. O. Salvin, in his interesting paper in the "Ibis," vol. i, p. 361, 

 entitled "Five Months' Bird-nesting in the Eastern Atlas," has the 

 following note about the Rosy Flamingo: — ''It seems to be an 

 almost universal rule throughout the world, that where there are 

 salt lakes there Flamigos are found. It certainly is the case in 

 Tunis and the Province of Constantino, in Eastern Algeria; no per- 

 manent salt lake of any extent is without them. Every one who 

 has visited Tunis must remember the vast numbers that are to be 

 seen in the lagoon of El Bahiera, and the lake on the north- 

 western side of the town, and will recall to mind the magnificent 

 sight of a thousand or more of these beautiful birds rising from the 

 water at one time, the whole mass, from the colour on their ex- 

 panded wings, looking like an animated rosy cloud. They are 

 extremely difficult of approach; and I only succeeded in shooting 

 one, which proved to be a splendid male. On dissecting the bird 

 I found in the gizzard nothing but the vegetable matter which 

 grows at the bottom of these lagoons; I am therefore led to suppose 

 that this forms the principal part of its food, and not the worms 

 which burrow in the mud, as Mr. Darwin suggests, (Naturalist's 

 Voyage, new edition, p. 66.) 



"We found the bird equally abundant at Djendeli throughout the 

 month of May, but obtained no certain clue to its breeding 

 localities or nesting habits; the Arabs could tell us nothing, and we 

 were unable to discover anything ourselves." 



It is much to be regretted that Mr. Salvin did not obtain the 

 desired information about the breeding habits of this bird, as authors 

 differ on the subject. 



Latham says, (Synopsis, vol. iii, p. 301,) — "They breed in the 

 Cape Verd Isles, particularly in that of Sal. The nest is of a 

 singular construction, made of 7nud in shape of an hillock, with a 

 cavity at top; in this the female lays generally two white eggs, of 

 the size of those of a Goose, but more elongated. The hillock is of 

 such a height as to admit of the birds sitting on it conveniently, or 

 rather standing, as the legs are placed one on each side at full 

 length. The young cannot fly till full grown, but run very fast.' 

 ■ On the other hand, M. Crespon, as quoted by Degland, gives a 

 different account: — "It nests in the swamps, and according to some 

 authors, it forms its nest in the form of a broken cone, with 

 mud and slime and grass; but according to M. Crespon, it does 

 not make any mound, but lays its eggs on a slight elevation. 



