KEY TO THE 
WATER BIRDS OF FLORIDA. 241 
and Virginia, and occasionally wanders as far south as Florida. I know of 
one or two instances where it has been seen, and a specimen was killed and 
brought into Jacksonville in the winter of 1894-5. 
ORDER ODONTOGLOSS-E. 
LAMELLIROSTRAL GRALLATORES. 
Famity PHCENICOPTERIDE. FLAMINGOES. 
Genus PHCENICOPTERUS Linn. 
PHCENICOPTERUS RUBER Zinn. 
American Flamingo. 
Adult male: Entire plumage scarlet; most of the 
primaries black; legs lake red; terminal half of the 
bill black; basal half of lower mandible orange. The 
female and immature males are lighter colored and 
paler. 
Length, 52; Wing, 17; Tail, 6.50; Tarsus, 12.50; Bill, 
5.25. 
This species occurs on the coast of trop- 
ical and sub-tropical America. It is a resi- 
dent in Florida, although seldom seen 
there. At one time it was abundant but is 
now only to be found in one or two local- 
ities. East of Cape Sable there was quite 
a colony of them, but the place is very diffi- 
cult of access and they are very shy. This 
species is still abundant in the Bahama 
Islands, where I found it breeding. It lays 
two chalky-white eggs. The nest, which 
is constructed of mud, is shaped like a 
sugar-loaf slightly hollowed on the top, and 
usually from about 14 inches to 20 inches 
in height. 
