Song Birds and Water Fowl 



loquacious, gushing, and demonstrative than 

 their neighbors, cannot, on that account, be 

 said to have less strength of sentiment and 

 affection. 



Standing apart, in most singular contrast to 

 these species, but scientifically in the same 

 order, is the flamingo of Florida, one of the 

 most brilliant of all water fowl — intense scarlet 

 from top to toe, except a few black feathers in 

 the wing — extremely attenuated, standing four 

 feet high, and often on the wing — a sort of air- 

 line connection between the marsh and the swim- 

 ming groups. Scientists must have smiled when 

 they voted to group the dumpy duck with this 

 tall and spindling creature, which stands in the 

 same relation to the remainder of the group as 

 a church-steeple to a cottage. Audubon once 

 made a trip to Florida chiefly to study these 

 gorgeous specimens. His view of a flock in 

 the air, sailing with broadly spreading wings, 

 must have been as unique as it was beautiful, as 

 of a group of crimson clouds dappling the sky 

 at sunset. And, by the way, one must have 

 the greatest admiration for the arduous and in- 

 defatigable researches of this wonderful natural- 

 ist. The extremities into which he was some- 

 times brought, in his long wanderings through 



83 



