BIRD COURTS OF JUSTICE. 835 



from a stork's nest, and replaced them with liens' eggs. Ulti- 

 mately, cliickens were hatched, greatly to the surprise of the 

 storks. The male stork speedily disappeared, and was not seen 

 for two or three days, when he returned with a large number of 

 other storks, who assembled in a circle in the town, without pay- 

 ing any attention to the numerous spectators their proceedings 

 attracted. The female stork was brought into the midst of the 

 circle, and, after some discussion, was attacked by the whole flock 

 and torn to pieces. The assemblage then dispersed, and the nest 

 was left tenantless. 



A somewhat similar case has been cited by the same author as 

 having occurred in the vicinity of Berlin. Two storks made their 

 nest on one of the chimneys of a mansion ; and the owner of the 

 house inspecting it, found in it an egg, which he replaced by one 

 belonging to a goose. The storks did not ax)pear to notice the 

 change until the egg was hatched, when the male bird rose from 

 the nest, and, after flying around it several times with loud 

 screams, disappeared. For some days the female bird continued 

 to tend the changeling without interruption ; but on the morning 

 of the fourth the inmates of the house were disturbed by loud 

 cries in a field fronting it. The noise proceeded from nearly five 

 hundred storks standing in a compact body listening, apparently, 

 to the harangue of a solitary bird about twenty yards off. When 

 this bird had concluded its address, it retired, and another took 

 its place and addressed the meeting in a similar manner. These 

 proceedings were continued by a succession of birds until eleven 

 in the forenoon, when the whole court arose simultaneously into 

 the air, uttering dismal cries. All this time the female had re- 

 mained in her nest, but in evident fear. When the meeting broke 

 up, all the storks flew toward her, headed by one — supposed to be 

 the offended husband — who struck her violently three or four 

 times, knocking her out of the nest. The unfortunate stork made 

 no effort to defend herself, and was speedily destroyed by the 

 troop, who also annihilated the hapless gosling, and left not a 

 fragment of the contaminated nest. 



The Rev. F. O. Morris, in his anecdotes of " Animal Sagacity," 

 cites the following instance of a case which ended less tragically : 

 " Some hens' eggs," he says, " were placed in a stork's nest, and 

 the others removed. The female, not aware of the change, sat 

 patiently the appointed number of days, till the shells were broken 

 and the young chickens made their appearance. ISTo sooner were 

 they seen by the old birds, than they testified their surprise by 

 harsh notes and fierce looks ; and, after a short pause, they jointly 

 fell upon the unfortunate chickens and pecked them to pieces, as 

 if conscious of the disgrace which might be supposed to attach to 

 a dishonored nest." 



