tmt STORKS. 97 



Eggs. — From four to seven in number ; uniform brownish- 

 olive. Axis, I •85-2"o inches : diam., i '45-1 "5. 



THE STORKS. SUB-ORDER CICONII. 



The Storks are very closely allied to the Heron, and have a 

 bridged, or *' desmognathous," palate. They differ, however, in 

 several important particulars from the foregoing birds, as they 

 have no powder-down patches, and no pectination, or " comb-" 

 like process, on the middle toe. Both toes are webbed at the 

 base, the outer one especially, but the chief difference is found 

 in the position of the hind-toe, or hallux, which is elevated 

 above the plane of the other toes, and is not on the same level 

 with them. 



THE TRUE STORKS. GENUS CICONIA. 



Ci'com'a, Briss. Orn. v. p. 361 (1760). 



Type, C. ciconia (L.). 



As regards the British species, the characters given above 

 are suf^cient to distinguish the Storks from the Herons and 

 Ibises. 



I. THE WHITE STORK. CICONIA CICONIA. 



Ardea ciconia, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 235 (1766). 



Ciconia alba, Bechst. Naturg. Deutschl. iii. p. 45 (1793); 



Macg. Br. B. iv. p. 481 (1852) ; Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 



297, pi. 405 (1873); B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 112 (1883); 



Seebohm, Br. B. ii. p. 525 (1884) ; Saunders, ed. Yarr. Br. 



B. iv. p. 219 (1884); id. Man. Br. B. p. 375 (1889); 



Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xxiii. (1893). 

 ^Plate LXX.) 



Adult Male. — General colour white above and below ; the 

 scapulars, greater wing-coverts, and the quills black, with a 

 grey powdering on the outer web of the secondaries ; bill dull 

 vermilion ; feet a little lighter vermilion, more of a salmon- 

 red ; bare skin of face round the eye black ; iris black. Total 

 length, 36 inches; culmen, 8*3; wing, 23*5; tail, 9*8; tarsus, 

 8-8. 



II H 



