CHAPTER XXVII 



THE ORDER OF FLAMINGOES— A CONNECTING LINK 



ODONTOGLOSSAE 



The long-legged, long-necked Flamingo is 

 a very perfect connecting link between the 

 wading-birds and the swimmers, and a most 

 curiously formed bird. It has enormously long, 

 stilt-like legs, like a heron; but its feet are fully 

 webbed, like the feet of a duck. Its standing 

 height is from 48 to 54 inches. It has a long, 

 slender, crane-like neck; but its thick, broken- 



New York Zoological Park 

 THE FLAMINGO. 



backed bill is provided with lamillae along the 

 edges, like the bill of a shoveller-duck. The 

 anatomj' of the bill and tongue of this bird is 

 particularly interesting. 



This biixi is by habit a true wader, and lives 

 and breeds near shallow lagoons, where it can 

 walk in the water, and feed on the bottom. 



In 1902, Mr. Fiank M. Chapman, of the Amer- 

 ican Museum of Natural History, \'isited a great 

 breeding-place of the American Flamingo,' on 



Andros Island, Bahamas, where he saw about 

 700 birds in one flock, and about 2,000 mud- 

 nests in one group, situated on a level mud-flat 

 close beside a shallow lagoon. 



The nest of this queer bird pro^'ed to be a 

 low, flat pillar of mud from G to 12 inches 

 in height, 13 inches in diameter at the bot- 

 tom, and 10 inches across the top — which 

 is flat, and slightl}' depressed." The eggs 

 are two in number. 



Up to 1890, the Flamingo flocks still 

 visited southern Florida, near Cape Sable, 

 and it is possible that at rare intervals 

 they still do so. Besides tho.se in the 

 Bahamas, flamingoes are found in Cuba. 

 Every year from twenty to fifty li've 

 birds are brought to New York by the 

 dealers in live animals, and sold at prices 

 ranging from $12 to .120 each. When 

 they arrive they are all oxst bright red, 

 but in captivity all gradually fade out until 

 they are pale pink. 



Ill all the world there are eight species 

 of flamingoes. While our species is bright 

 scarlet, all over, those of Europe and Africa 

 are almost white, with pink wing coverts. 

 The food of this bird in capti-^-ity is dried 

 shrimps, boiled rice, and cubes of stale 

 bread, fed in water. In a room which 

 is warmed to CO*^ F., it can li^'e all 

 winter, wading half the time in water 

 that is almost icy cold, without catching 

 cold. The voice of this bird is fearfullj^ and 

 wonderfully made. It is a r&sonant, deep bass, 

 utterly unmusical ''hotik," hke a rasping blast 

 on a large tin horn, blown by an amateur. 



' Plioe-ni-i-op'Icr-iis rii'ber. Lenstli, 4.5 inches; 

 spread of wings, 62 inches; tarsus, 12.50 inches. 

 - Bird Lore Magazine. IV., p. ISO. 



266 



