PHCENICONAIAS MINOR. 



(2) PHffiNICONAIAS MINOR. 

 THE LESSEE ELAMINGO. 



Phceniconaias minor, !Scilvadori, Cat. B. 21. xxvii, p. 18. 



Phcenicopteriis roseus, part., Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 775. 



Phcenicopterus minor, Hwnc% Str. Feath. i, p. 31 : Adam, ibid. p. 400, 



ii, p. 339 ; Ihime, ibid, iv, p. 25 ; Buthr, ibid, v, p. 234 ; Hume, ibid. 



viii, p. 114; id. Cat. no. 944 bis ; Butler, Sti\ Feath. ix, p. 436; Legge, 



B. of Cey. p. 1093; Hume, Str. Feath. x, p. 513; Barnes, B. of Bom. 



p. 393 ; Betham, Jovr. B. N. H. S. xii, p. 222 ; Blanford, Fauna B. 1. 



iv, p. 410. 



Description. Adult male. — General colour a bright pale pink ; feathers at 

 the base of the bill crimson ; the longest scapularies and median wing-coverts 

 crimson, the latter edged paler : other wing-coverts and the edges of the under 

 Aving-coverts rosy, the greater under wing-coverts and quills black ; axillaries 

 crimson ; rectrices darker and with the outer webs tinged with crimson ; under 

 tail-coverts subtipped A\ith a tinge of crimson. Some old males, perhaps during 

 the breeding-season only, have thefeatjiers of the back with crimson shatt-stripes. 



Iris red minium ; bill dark lake-red, with the tip black ; feet red (Antinori). 

 Length 34 to 38 inches, wing 13 to 14, tail about 5, culraen 4 to 4-25, tarsus 7*5 

 to 8-25. 



Female. — Similar to the male, but smaller and paler, \\ithout the crimson 

 scapularies, and with no crimson on the back or breast. Length about 32 to 

 34 inches, wing 12-2 to 13, tail about 5 or less, ciilmen about 4. tarsus 

 about 7*25. 



The yoimg appears to be vei'v like that of Phcenicopterus roseus, but with a 

 more rosv and less brown or buff tinge about it. Altogether a brighter, paler 

 bird. 



Ilahitat. — This bird is not spread OAcr nearly so large an area as is the 

 Common Flamingo. It appears to extend through South Africa on both 

 coasts, but the extent of its range northwards on the West Coast is still 

 doubtful. In the British j\Inseum Catalogue, Salvadori marks its habitat 

 Senegal with a " ? ^'. In the East it is found on many parts of the coast 

 as far north as Abyssinia and also in Madagascar. From JST.E. Africa it 

 extends to N.W. India, where, however, it is not found far south or fai- 

 into the interior, nor is it found anywhere towards the east. 



It has been recorded from various parts of India from the end of 

 September uj) to the beginning of July, and cannot breed very far from 



