THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA 275 



minute some other birds would take the places of 

 the retired sentinels. The entire party of sentinels 

 was not changed at one time ; one would retire and 

 another take the vacant place. There were never 

 more than five individuals in a picket party, and 

 now and then I noticed a solitary sentinel, and 

 the squad at times consisted of three birds. 

 These outposts did not feed, and seemed to spend 

 their time in watching and giving attention to the 

 protection of the main body. 



Besides the bright scarlet birds (which were 

 comparatively few) there were many individuals 

 less brilliant; I should describe them as a rosy 

 salmon, and some of the flock were a dull, grayish 

 white in color. These three phases represented 

 varying ages of the flamingoes, the dull gray birds 

 being immature and the scarlet ones adults. 



In this remote region, beside the flamingoes, 

 there were many other interesting birds. Large 

 flocks of white pelicans, and a great many Cas- 

 pian terns were present. The great white heron, 

 which is a. solitary bird, and not at all like in 

 character to its gregarious smaller allies, the 

 two white egrets, relieved the deep green of the 

 mangrove that covered the shore, seeming like 

 marble statues, and decidedly Japanese in effect. 

 Nor were the smaller birds absent. Many kinds 

 of warblers, great Carolina wrens, kingfishers, 

 sparrow-hawks, flickers, catbirds, and fish-crows 



