St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-09-17
A Beautiful Bird,

A Beautiful Bird.
The l1amingo is a beautiful inhabtant
OF all marshy regions in the tropics
II IS found in great numbers in South
America and the West Indies, and in
Africa, Southern Asia and China. 1t
is a bird Of wondrous beauty. 1t has
slender. gracefully formed body, long.
! tim legs. and a Very lone, flexible
nc.k. When It's stands erect. its neck
| stretched in the air, its head is fully six
| feet from the ground.
The feathers Oh the body of the ia
mingo are white, dcicately tinted with
rose color. Its wings, which are very
large. are OF the most brilliant scarlet.
and the long gu lis are black 1t is a
very sociable bird, and is always seen
in Rocks OF several hundred. The ap-
rearance OF flock OF namingoeS, as
described by travellers, is one OF start
me maInilcence. Seen from affair.
Wading or swimming in the inlcts of
SAT- marshes for the tlamingo loves
best to keep near the sea-coast-one
would think that an immense army of
red-coated soldiers was encampel
there. instead of 4 flock of harmless.
defenseless birds. In South America
the tiamngo is called 1.-the soldier
bird by the natives, and Humboldt,
the great German traveller and natural
lSt, re:ateS very amusing story, which
he gives as an actual occurrence illus
tratlng the fitness OF this name A
new township of An9ostura had been
formed; but the inhabitants were
scarcely settled in their new homes
when, one morning, wild cry of alarm
spread through the little village that
an immense body of men in red gar
ments, probably hostile Indians, was
advancing. Such wea3ons as were at
hand were hastily seized. and all the
men rushed out to defend their homes.
Suddenly the supposed hostile army
rose in the air, and. forming Il long
line OF flashing scarlet against the clear
Blue SKY, took its course in the direc-
ton Of the great salt marshes around the
mouth OF the Orinoco.
Naturalists have encountered great
difficulty in their attempts to study the
habits OF the tianineo in its native
haunts, Tor it is a very shy and Cautious
4 sentinel posted to give notice of the
Of danger This is usually
the largest and, probably, the oldest
and wisrst, bird Of the flock At the
least sound it lifts its large head as high
IN the air as the long neck will allow.
and looks about on every side. Ii any
boat or hunter is seen, the whole flock.
with lond screenings, instantly van
ishes among the tail water grasses
When the tlamngo sleeps it draws
one leg up among its breast feathers
and, bending its neck backward, rests
It's head on the middle OF its back, with
the beak erect in the air or buried in
its wing. 1t is Il graceful rapid SWIM
mer and flies easily, stretching its lone
neck before and its legs behind, like
the crane and stork. Its nest is de-
scrlbed by those naturalists who have
been fortunate enough to see it as an
immense heap OF mud aud water grasses
IN the depths of some solitary swamp.
where the mother bird broods patiently
TOR thirty days on her two olistening
white eggs. When the little ones are
latched they take to the water immedi-
ately and swim about as lively as Young
lucks; but they are not strong enough
% fly for some months, and not until
hey are three Years old do they attain
he fu!l magnlticence of their scarlet
olumaoe.
The harmless and peaceful tIamingo
has many enemies besides man. Beasts
If prey are proving abroad at night
md pounce upon these birds while they
ire sleeping in their marshy homes. In
he great South American swamps the
'celot is one of its most formidable
oes. The ocelot is very small mem.
'er of the panther family, and is found
II Mexico and all through the American
ropics. 1t is atawny- colored creature.
covered with glistening black mark
ngs. 1t has the same habits as other
members of its family, spending the
LAY asleep in some secluded thicket
md roaming the forests at night and
arly dawn in search of birds and small
nimals.-Harper's Young People.