KOSY FLAMINGO. 41 



and the Province of Constantine, in Eastern Algeria; 

 no permanent salt lake of any extent is without them. 

 Every one who has visited Tunis must remember the 

 vast numbers that are to be seen in the lagoon of El 

 Bahiera, and the lake on the north-western side of the 

 town, and will recall to mind the magnificent sight of 

 a thousand or more of these beautiful birds rising from 

 the water at one time, the whole mass, from the colour 

 on their expanded wings, looking like an animated 

 rosy cloud. They are extremely difficult of approach; 

 and I only succeeded in shooting one, which proved 

 to be a splendid male. On dissecting the bird I found 

 in the gizzard nothing but the vegetable matter which 

 grows at the bottom of these lagoons; I am therefore 

 led to suppose that this forms the principal part of its 

 food, and not the worms which burrow in the mud, as 

 Mr. Darwin suggests, (Naturalist's Voyage, new edition, 

 p. 66.) 



"We found the bird equally abundant at Djendeli 

 throughout the month of May, but obtained no certain 

 clue to its breeding localities or nesting habits; the 

 Arabs could tell us nothing, and we were unable to 

 discover anything ourselves." 



It is much to be regretted that Mr. Salvin did not 

 obtain the desired information about the breeding habits 

 of this bird, as authors differ on the subject.- 



Latham says, (Synopsis, vol.iii., p. 301,) — "They breed 

 in the Cape Verd Isles, particularly in that of Sal. 

 The nest is of a singular construction, made of mud in 

 shape of a Jiilloch, with a cavity at top; in this the 

 female lays generally two white eggs, of the size of 

 those of a Goose, but more elongated. The hillock is 

 of such a height as to admit of the birds sitting on it 

 . conveniently, or rather standing, as the legs are placed 



VOL. IV. G 



