THE FLAMINGO. 175 



Orderly retreats Albiu's remarks. 



as yet but tliinly peopled. In these solitary re- 

 gions, the flamingo lives in a state of society, and 

 seemingly under a better polity than any other 

 of the feathered creation, as has frequently been 

 observed by those who have traversed that ex- 

 tensive continent; and who, in those extensive 

 journies have taken repeated notice of the good 

 order preserved in their retreats at the approach 

 of man, whom they then consider as an enemy, 

 by invading their territories, and in which they 

 Jive in peace and security. 



Mr. Albin tells us, that when the Europeans 

 who first went to America, coasted down along the 

 African coasts, they found the flamingos on se- 

 veral shores on both continents, gentle, and no 

 ways distrustful of mankind. They had long 

 been used to security, in the extensive solitudes 

 they had chosen ; and knew no enemies but those 

 they could very well evade or oppose. The ne- 

 groes and the native Americans, were possessed 

 but of few destructive arts for killing them at a 

 distance ; and when the bird perceived the arrow, 

 it well knew how to avoid it. But it was other- 

 wise when the Europeans first came among them ; 

 the sailors, not considering that the dread of fire- 

 arms was totally unknown in that part of the 

 world, gave the flamingo the character of a fool- 

 ish bird, that suffered itself to be approached 

 and shot at. When the fowler had killed one, 

 the rest of the flock, far from attempting to fly, 

 (only regarded the fall of their ppinpanion in a 



