PELICANS 
raises np into its mouth a considerable quantity of red- 
coloured fluid ; as soon as the upper part of the throat and 
mouth became filled it dropped or ran down from the 
corners of the flajningo’s mouth, the flamingo then bent 
its long neck over the gaping cariama and poured this fluid 
into the mouth, and, frequently, on the back of the 
cariama. Having seen this done repeatedly, I took an 
opportunity of obtaining a portion of the fluid and sub- 
mitted it to Dr. Murie for examination We placed it under 
the microscope and found it composed of little else than 
blood, in fact the red blood-corpuscles are wonderfully 
abundant in the otherwise clear and almost transparent 
glutinous fluid. That this did not proceed from any disease 
of, or injury done to, the flamingo, nor arise from, nor is 
produced by, any portion or part of the food taken by it, I am 
perfectly certain, because the bird is in the most vigorous 
health and condition; but I believe that it was an attempt 
to supply food to the cariamas, just as the hedge-sparrow 
and other birds supply food to the young cuckoo, and I 
have no doubt if a careful observer had the opportunity of 
watching the flamingoes on their breeding-ground, he 
would find that this is the mode of feeding their young ; 
no doubt other food is also provided, but most likely mixed 
with this secretion. I think it highly probable that this 
habit was noticed in ancient Egypt, and, by the confusion 
of names in translation, the pelican was supposed to be the 
bird intended ; in fact, I have heard that the representa- 
tion (which I am very anxious to see) is much more like 
a flamingo than a pelican. Again, a flamingo is much more 
a bird of the wilderness than the pelican, seeing that the 
pelican requires a good supply of fish, while the flamingo 
can live and does well upon very small insects, seeds, and 
little fry, and is found in places in which the pelican would 
starve. 
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