258 Pictures of Bird Life 



pole erected on their behalf ; ])ut he has improved on the 

 cart-wheel ordinarily placed in position on the top through- 

 ont Holland, by having made an iron cage arrangement to 

 receive and hold the sticks of which the great nest is com- 

 posed. This is witliin siglit of his library window, looking 

 across the corner of the garden and carriage-drive, and from 

 his easy-chair he can watch their movements, and see the 

 parent Storks standing in their contemplative attitude at 

 the edge of the nest, or watch them arriving with food 

 for their young ones. xVfter the young are hatched, they 

 never appear to be left imguarded. but one or other of the 

 old birds stands sentry until relieved by the arrival of its 

 mate. Then it will spread its wide black wings and launch 

 itself into the air from its lofty perch. Any strange Stork 

 passing over, even though so high in the air as to be well- 

 nigh invisible, is always watched with every sign of alarm 

 and suspicion by the sentry : while the approach of its mate 

 is greeted witli '* klappering,"" tliat mode of language peculiar 

 to the Stork family. Tlie nest is gained by a gradual rise 

 after skimming low down close to tlie groimd : and when 

 it is finally reached by the returning bird, the siglit of the 

 meeting between the pair is most grotesque. Each bird 

 politely bows to its partner, and tlien, throwing back their 

 great red beaks until tliey rest on their backs, they each 

 " klapper " vigorously. 



To see them, one would suppose they were congratulating 

 themselves on meeting once more after a long and perilous 

 journey. In reality, the journey has been to the distance 



