There were some twenty or
thirty flamingoes upon it, for these birds are very gregarious.
Some were standing in the water as usual, but the boys could not
make out what some of the others were doing. On the flat shore were
several heaps of earth, and across them some of the birds were
apparently sitting with one leg straddling out each side. So
comical was their aspect that the boys burst into a laugh, which so
scared the flamingoes that they all took flight instantly. The boys
now waded up to the spot, and then got ashore to see what these
strange heaps were for. To their great delight they found that they
were nests, and upon the top of several of them were eight or nine
eggs carefully arranged. The legs of the flamingo are so long that
the bird is unable to double them up and sit upon his nest in the
usual fashion. The hen bird therefore scrapes together a pile of
earth, on the top of which she lays her eggs, and then places
herself astride to keep them warm. The boys had an argument whether
they should take away two nests entire, or whether they should take
a few eggs from each nest; but they decided upon the former plan,
in order that each of the young broods might be hatched
simultaneously. Upon the boys reaching home with their treasure
their sisters' delight was unbounded, and the hens were soon placed
upon their new charges, and, both being good sitters, took to them
without much difficulty.
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