108 



THE COLOGIST. 



Notes on the Breeding Habits of the 

 American Flamingo, Etc. 



(PJuenieopterns ruber.) 



BY C. 3. MAYNAKD. 



There are, perhaps, a few birds through- 

 out the "world, noticeable alike for their 

 brilliant coloration and peculiar form, 

 which are so little known as the American 

 Flamingo. No American naturalist has 

 hitherto visited their breeding grounds, or 

 at least no correct account has yet appeared 

 of their breeding habits. Indeed, 30 vague 

 has been our knowledge of the manner in 

 which these singular birds construct their 

 neste, that I find upon consulting a work 

 of an eminent ornithologist, which only 

 appeared last winter, the author of which 

 evidently had the works of all other writ- 

 ers at hand from which to supplement his 

 own notes, that, although nothing positive 

 is stated relative to the breeding habits of 

 our Flamingo, it being clearly intimated 

 that nothing definite is known, a ent is 

 given, taken from a photograph, of a group 

 of three birds and a nest. These birds were 

 mounted and the nest teas artificial, while all 

 convey erroneous ideas as to the attitudes 

 of the birds, situation of the nest and sur- 

 roundings, judging from my experience 

 with the birds on the Bahamas. But I am 

 not writing an article in which to criticise 

 the doings of others, I merely mention the 

 matter ns illustrating the general ignorance 

 of ornithologists upon the incubating hab- 

 its of these birds. 



Knowing ns we did before we went to the 

 Bahamas, that any facts relative to the 

 habits of the Flamingoes were desirable, we- 

 considered the matter of sufficient import 

 ance to organize a special expedition, in 

 order to search for their breeding grounds. 

 There are several islands among the Baha- 

 mas to which the Flamingoes resort, but we 

 chose Andros, partly because it was the 

 most accessible from New Providence, but 

 mainly because being of considerable ex- 

 tent — ninety miles long by thirty 

 broad — we trusted to find the birds lass dis- 



j turbed there than elsewhere, more especial- 

 | ly as tue island is only sparingly inhabited,, 

 I and that wholly by negroes. 



May 14, 1884, found ns on board a little 

 sloop-rigged vessel, sailing northward along 

 the barren western coast of Andros Island, 

 under the guidance of a negro whom we 

 had found on the eastern shore of the is- 

 land. We had come through one of those 

 singular inlets which intersect Andros from 

 shore to shore, known as the Southern 

 Bight. The western portion of Andros for 

 some ten miles from the coast, is a vast, 

 flat plain of marl, but a few inches above 

 the level of the sea. A few scattering man- 

 groves, usually dwarfed, grow on these ex- 

 tensive salinas, and there are also a few 

 clumps of low bnttonwood bushes growing 

 at wide intervals in the drier portions, while 

 » sparse growth of coarse grass and a few 

 weeds, renders the general whiteness of the 

 marley surface more conspicuous through 

 offering a slight contrast. Numerous estu- 

 arys make into the land, not only from the 

 sea, but also from the bights, so that the sur- 

 face is cut up with creeks, bays, lagoons, 

 and ponds, in all of which the tide rises and 

 falls. 



We had already been in search of a Fla- 

 mingo rookery for three days, and I will 

 not here detail the di^npointments to which 

 we were subjected as we visited spot after 

 spot where Flamingoes had bred in past sea- 

 sons, after going many miles into the 

 interior, only to find them deserted. We 

 had at length come out on to the nearly un- 

 known west coast, and as related, were 

 sailing along, our guide (one of the most 

 faithful men I ever encountered) was at 

 the mast-head keeping a lookout over the 

 level plains for Flamingoes. He assured me 

 that a large body of these birds could be 

 seen several miles. I must confess, how- 

 ever, that through continual disapoint- 

 ment I had quite lost faith in ever finding 

 a Flamingo rookery on Andros, and was 

 sitting on deck idly gazing over the side, 

 watching the then familar objects clearly 

 seen through the pelucid waters, but with- 

 out regarding them much, when I heard 



