THE EAST AFRICAN RAILROAD 
97 
above the water’s edge, are dazzling white with the birds’ guano. 
These flamingoes breed on a flat plain of mud about a mile broad at 
the north end of Lake Hannington, where their nests, in the form of 
little mounds of mud with feathers plastered on the hollowed top, 
appear like innumerable mole-hills. 
The birds, having hitherto been absolutely unmolested by man, 
are quite tame. They belong to a rosy species (Phoeniconais minor) 
which is slightly smaller than the Mediterranean flamingo, but ex¬ 
quisitely beautiful in plumage. The adult bird has a body and neck 
of rosy pink, the color of sunset clouds. The beak is scarlet and pur¬ 
ple; the legs are deep rose-pink inclining to scarlet. Underneath the 
black-pinioned wings the larger feathers are scarlet-crimson, while 
beautiful crimson crescents tip the tertiaries and wing-coverts on the 
upper surface of the wings. Apparently the mature plumage is not 
reached until the birds are about three years old. The younger fla¬ 
mingoes very soon attain the same size as the rosy adults, but their 
plumage gradually varies from a gray-white, through the color of a 
pale tea-rose, before its full sunset glow is attained. 
The belt of flamingoes on the north side of the lake must be nearly 
a mile in breadth, reaching from the water’s edge into the lake. As 
looked upon from above the great colony of birds is gray-white in 
color on the shoreward side, then in the middle of the mass it becomes 
white, while its lakeward ring is of the most exquisite rose-pink. This 
is due to the fact that the young birds frequent the outer edge of the 
semicircle, while the oldest ones stretch farthest out into the lake. 
When these birds rise the noise they make can be heard nearly 
a mile away, their “kronk, kronk, kronk,” mingled with splashings and 
swishings, making such a tumult of sound as to fill the air with uproar., 
Their mode of rising is an ungainly one, their flight being preceded 
by an absurd gallop through the mud before they can lift themselves 
on their wings. It is not easy to make them take to flight, they being 
so tame that one can approach quite near to them without causing any 
signs of disturbance. 
Looking on the Rift Valley from above, as Colonel Roosevelt and 
his party did, one sees a magnificent view, full of the elements of 
grandeur. Standing on the northwestern edge of the Elgeyo escarp- 
