2^8 LECTURE VL 



black above, white beneath, with red legs of a 

 most extravagant length. 



The last genus of the Gralla which I shall par- 

 ticularize, is the Flamingo or Fhoenicoptertis ; it 

 is distinguished by a large, broad, but rather thin 

 bill, suddenly bent down in the middle as if 

 broken, and finely toothed or serrated on the 

 edges. The Red Flamingo is a most extraordinary 

 bird, of the size of a Goose, but with a neck and 

 legs so enormously long as to appear out of pro- 

 portion to the rest of the anhnal. The colour of 

 the whole bird when full grown is a vivid scarlet, 

 with the tips of the wings black. It is a native of 

 Africa and of South America, frequenting the sea 

 coasts and the brinks of rivers, and feeding in the 

 manner of the Heron tribe, on fish and water 

 insects, and sometimes on vegetables. 



As the feet in the Flamingo are pretty deeply 

 webbed, it ma}* be considered as forming a kind 

 of connecting link between the Grallse and the 

 AnsereSy or web-footed swimming-birds, to which 

 we shall now direct our attention. 



The Anseres consist of such birds as have very 

 strongly or conspicuously-webbed feet, and are, 

 from their general structure, calculated for swim- 



