THE OOLOGIST. 



100 



my guide exclaim. "We don't go to Wide 

 Opening to-day, massa!" Now as Wide 

 Opening was the point to which we were 

 bound end which we were most anxious to 

 reach, as our time was limited, this was not 

 very welcome ne^vs, for I was certain that 

 our observing pilot Lad perceived that we 

 had run into some cul-de-sac among the 

 numerous sand banks, from which the 

 wind was unfavorable to extricate us. My 

 first look then, with this idea in my mind, 

 was ahead at the surface of the water, for 

 the light greeu spots which indicate shoals. 

 Not perceiving any of alarming extent, my 

 next glance was upward at the black face 

 nbove us, when, from the triumphant ex- 

 pression on that good humored countenance 

 I saw at once that sand bars were not in 

 the question. 



Springing into the rigging as the negro 

 descended, I was soon aloft gazing to the 

 eastward. There, far in the interior, I 

 could see a lo.'g, low, ruddy line, like a 

 brilliant crimson sunset cloud, resting on 

 the level land. Then I knew that we should 

 surely siudy the habits of the American 

 Flamingo on their breeding gronud. 



An hour later we stood within 300 yards 

 of 5, U00 Flamingoes. We were drenched 

 to the skin and covered with white marl, 

 having had to wade three creeks, in which 

 the mud and water was arm-pit deep. 

 But what did that matter ? Minor affairs 

 were forgotten in the magnificent spectacle 

 befoie us. The immense flock of huge 

 crimson birds being alarmed began to raise 

 their wings, flap them and honk hoarsely. 

 Here we paused for a moment's consultation 

 then leaving Mrs. Maynard (who had brave- 

 ly kept up with us) to hold back Spottie, 

 the dog, I pushed rarjidfy forward, closely 

 followed by my negro guide. There was 

 not a single bush to shelter us, so we were 

 in open sight of the birds, and when we got 

 within about 200 yards of thorn they began 

 to pour out of the Rookery, running out 

 from among the nests in two wide columns, 

 one to the right and one to the left of us, 

 for the we came up directly in the center of 

 the nesting. When each bird, as it came 

 out, had acquired a sufficient impetus by 



running n short distance with wings half 

 raised, it spread its long pinions fully, 

 moved them rapidly a few times, and thus 

 launched upwards into air. The move- 

 ment of so many black-tipped wings in con- 

 trast with the scarlet bodies, long necks, 

 and peculiarly formed heads, resembled 

 rapidly whirling wheels. Each Flamingo 

 was now trumpeting with the utmost power 

 of its lungs. This, added to the rush of 

 so rr*ny wings, produced an almost deafen- 

 ing uproar. This together with the sight 

 of so many large birds, excited my negro 

 almost to frenzy. Before leaving his house 

 he had armed himself with an old-fashioned 

 musket, which he had charged with nearly 

 aquarter of a pound af powder, on which 

 he had rammed down a quantity of oakum, 

 then poured in a handful of BBB shot. 

 With this gun and amurition he had ex- 

 pected to do great execution, hence his 

 excitement. We had now arrived at the 

 margin of a body of water about a hundred 

 yards wide, a kind of estuary making in to 

 the westward of the rookery. This, al- 

 though not deep, would have prevented us 

 from moving fast, so I turned as I came 

 upon the beach which bordered this water, 

 and ran down it toward the end, in order 

 to come up to the birds that were rising on 

 the northern portion of the rookery. 



My man by this time was so crazed by a 

 nearer sight at the hundreds of scarlet and 

 black birds, that he quite lost his head and 

 began yelling at the top of his voice, as he 

 clashed after me, "Don't fire, massa; don't 

 fire! don't! don't!" At this moment I heard 

 a report like a cannon, and fairly felt the 

 ground shake. Turning, I saw that the 

 negro had discharged his gun with the 

 muzzle pointed into the water. He stop- 

 ped running, whether voluntarily cr from 

 the recoil of his weapon, I cannot say, in- 

 stantly dropped the butt of his gun' to the 

 ground to reload, but never for a moment 

 ceased his cry of "Don't fire! don't fire!" 

 By this time I was within a hundred yards 

 of the nearest birds, almost all of which 

 were on the wing. Here I came to a sud- 

 den pause, and although I must acknowl- 

 edge that I was more excited than if I was 



