THROUGH WILD EUROPE 113 



hundreds of their nests in Holland, Denmark, 

 Spain, Hungary, Roumania, Albania, and Montene- 

 gro. But as they are almost invariably on or near 

 houses, the owners of which regard them with much 

 affection or superstitious regard, it is nearly always a 

 matter of impossibility to take the eggs. Once, I 

 remember, in Jutland, a friend who was with me 

 asked a farmer for permission to mount a ladder, 

 only to look into a Stork's nest on the roof, and 

 was very decidedly refused. 



In Spain, it is true, I have occasionally seen nests 

 on pine- and cork-trees in the forests, but always on 

 large trees difficult to climb, and at the time there 

 were young birds in the nests. In Spain I do not 

 think the people pay much regard to them, merely 

 considering them useful in eating locusts, mice, 

 and even rats and snakes ; but in Holland and 

 Denmark it would be very unsafe to disturb them, 

 and even more dangerous in Mohammedan countries, 

 where the people look upon them with peculiar 

 reverence. 



