The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-12

saw the birds mend their nests, IA IVA ged by
the storm, reaching their bills down from
the top Of the structure for bill full of mud
then plastering il neatly Oh with bills and
feet He measured the nests, eight inches
high. with depression Of one inch at the
top. in which lay single egg.
He disproved many hoary falaoies
Since Sir Henry Blake made some incom-
plete Investigations in 1887 IL had been
believed that the father 1amingo stood
beside his spouse while she was sitting
upon the egg Mr. Chapman proved him
TO be an even more gentlemanly and do
mestc consort. He takes his turn with the
mother in incubating the eggs
The birds work IN two shifts. changing
at morning and evening when long rose
colored lines come flying in from every
point OF the compass and Others. made
up Of the birds relieved fly away in their
turn 10 the feeding grounds. As Peter said
i do link. sah, when lady fllymngo
leave mes gentleman Allymingo take huh
place, sab
All day an astonishing uproar fills Fia-
rni"So City. An elevated train could pass
In close proximity without being heard
But at noon silence reignsF The hour for
-iesta has come. Each bird disposes her
long neck in a graceful coil. tucks her head
under the feathers on her hack and sleeps
Bat at a single honk OF alarm up rise thou
sands Of snaky rosy necks, like a mass Of
glowing, writhing serpents.
In order that they should never know
that any one was in the blind Mrs Chapman
came TO the city at a certain hour every
afternoon and during the absence of the
birds Mr. Chapman retired while the fla
mingo never seemed to know that two
vent walking away where one had come
During their absence he would walk through
the city counting the little birds.
These when only a day old. would hop
ont Of the nest and scuttle of showing the
inordnate shyneSs OF the bird. for ordinary
Woodland birds do not know the sensation
Of fear till some time after their birth
Upon the return of the parents each little
bird would run home Most of them recog-
nized the sound OF their parents voice:
but II now and then a little chap lost his
way and tried 10 climb into the wrong
nest. sharp peck on the nape of his neck
sent him on 70 his own door How did
each mother know how to pick ont her own
little white babyY
The little chicks look exactly like barn
yard chicks. covered with yellowish down
excepting that they have abnormally long
legs and bills. Half grown they are eXtraor-
dinarily ugly, their bodies, covered with
duh grhy feathers. perched at the top,
Of n ridiculous pair Of stills.
All this time the explorers were sleeping
on pneumatic mattresses, with the water
gurging at the bedside They calculated
that the mattress would font If the waters
rose in the night; and they worried more
over the fate Of their Photographic slides
than OF themselves so MIR Chapman
sadly tore himself away before Flamingo
City disbanded for the year
Each pair Of hamingoes rear a single
chicken. 80 they probably hardly hold
their own, And AZ fresh meat j. rare in
those parts and little faminRoes very sweet
and tender. the negro natives love them
very much The famngo race Is doomed
despite It's desperate hiding
When II is gone this unique museum group
with it, mounted birds on the sandy beach
melting almost indsting1iiRhablv into the
painted background, will remain 10 tell
the tale. Many persons who pause be- |
fore the group find that they never knew
what color fiamingoes were. They are a I
pure salmon pink the exact color OF the /
denizens Of the Columbia River, but deep
ening in the soft rioh plumage Of the neck
md breast into an EXQUISITE velVety effect,