A FLAMINGO CITY 
numbers. Being on slightly 
higher ground, they had appa- 
rently not been affected by the 
storm of May 17, since eggs 
were already hatching. 
Wings could not now have borne us 
to the scene rapidly enough. Professor 
Wheeler and Dr. Dahlgren, my associates 
from the Museum, were landed at a settle- 
ment where they could pursue their studies 
of marine life, while Mrs. Chapman and I 
set sail in the Gloria for the flamingos’ 
metropolis. 
169 
schooner’s two boats, which 
two of the crew and Peter 
rowed or poled against the 
wind, and dragged over muddy 
shoals and coral bars hour after 
hour. It was a trying day’s work, and when, 
late in the afternoon, Peter said we had 
reached our destination, we were fully fif- 
teen miles from the schooner. We did not 
seem to have arrived anywhere. All day we 
had been following broad, shallow creeks, 
which, meeting other creeks, widened at 
intervals into lagoons, while on every side 
PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE THAT THE SITTING FLAMINGO DOES NOT 
STRADDLE” 
THE NEST 
The birds in the background are fighting 
For the first time since leaving Florida, 
wind and tide favored us. A distance 
which on a former voyage had consumed 
four days was now covered in one, and the 
next morning we reached the nearest point 
to which the schooner could approach the 
rookery. Peter’s assurance that it was “ not 
too berry far” to the flamingos convinced 
us, in the light of past experiences, that 
they were distant at least ten miles, possibly 
more. It was not practicable, therefore, to 
go and return the same day, and, notwith- 
standing the frequent heavy 
rains and tempestuous squalls, 
it was determined to camp near 
the birds. 
Without loss of time 
outfit was embarked in 
our 
the 
the country spread away into the low, flat 
swash, neither land nor water, and utterly 
worthless for everything but flamingos. So 
when Peter announced that our journey 
was ended, we looked out over this hope- 
less country in search of a camp site, to 
find that the narrow, somewhat sandy shore 
of the creek was the only available place 
where one might pitch a tent. It is true 
that from each end of the tent a hand 
could be thrust into the water, but at least 
we had selected the highest available 
ground. 
Even here it was discovered 
that the sand barely covered 
coral rock below. ‘To drive a 
tent-pin effectively was out of 
the question, and our tent was 
