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of the Hooghly and some of the Soonderbun rivers. In Central India and the Deccan flocks 

 generally visit some of the larger tanks during the cold weather ; and they are also now and then 

 met with in Northern India. Adams states that they are not uncommon on the Punjab rivers 

 and lakes during the cold weather." According to Mr. A. O. Hume it is excessively common in 

 Sindh and Kattiawar, less so in Cutch and Jodhpoor (whei - e, however, Dr. King procured it at 

 Pallec in Octobei'), except at the Sambhur salt lake, at which place it is very abundant. 



On one occasion, at least, it has straggled as far as Lake Baikal ; for the Geographical Society 

 of Iakutsk possesses the skeleton of one shot there. I have not had an opportunity of examining 

 a specimen of Phcenicopteras rubidus, Feilden (Ibis, 1868, p. 496), which by some authors has 

 been treated as belonging to the present species ; but judging from the description it appears to 

 me that it is fairly separable. 



In the Nearctic Eegion the present species is replaced by one perfectly distinct, Phoenico- 

 pterus ruber, and in the Neotropical Region by Phcenicopterus ignipalliatus, Geoffr. 



I have united Phoenicopterus erythrceus, Verr., with the present species, because, so far as I 

 can judge, it cannot well be separated, except as a small race ; and Professor Schlegel, who has 

 examined one of the types, unhesitatingly places Verreaux's name as a synonym of Phcenicopterus 

 roseus. 



In habits the Flamingo has much in common with some of the Herons, though it certainly 

 resembles the Geese in structure much more than it does any other group. It frequents the 

 sea-coast and the borders of large freshwater lakes and lagoons, but always such as are devoid of 

 trees and bushes, and where it can have a wide prospect of the surrounding country. It is 

 essentially gregarious, and is usually seen in vast flocks, breeding even in large colonies, not 

 in single pairs ; and in some parts the flocks are said to consist of several hundred individuals. 

 It wades in the shallows in search of food, working about with its beak in the soft bottom, and 

 is said to resemble the Spoonbill somewhat in its mode of feeding. When disturbed it rises on 

 the wing with difficulty, and strikes the water with its wings and feet for some distance, reminding 

 one not a little of the Swans ; but when once up in the air some distance above the ground or 

 water it flies with tolerable ease, though it appears unwilling to traverse great distances. When 

 flying it stretches its long neck in front and its legs behind, and has therefore a very peculiar 

 appearance. It feeds on aquatic insects of various kinds, small crustaceans, worms, and, to a 

 large extent, also on vegetable matter. Its cry is said to resemble that of the common AVild 

 Goose very closely, and may almost be mistaken for it. Speaking of the habits of the Flamingo 

 as observed by him in Sindh, Mr. A. O. Hume says (Stray Feathers, i. p. 257), " Elsewhere I have 

 seen Flamingoes in flocks of several hundreds ; here they were in tens of thousands. It is a 

 wonderful sight to see one of these enormous flocks rise suddenly when alarmed ; as you approach 

 them, as long as they remain in the water at rest, they look simply like a mass of faintly rosy 

 snow. A rifle is fired, and then the exposure of the upper and under coverts of the wing turns 

 the mass into a gigantic brilliantly rosy scarf, waving to and fro in mighty folds as it floats 

 away. The Flamingo, I found, swims rapidly and well. A winged bird which fell in deep water 

 kept well ahead of our primitive native punt, and was only secured when, after fully half a 

 mile's swim, the bird began to be exhausted. It did not swim like a Swan, with the neck bent 



5p 



