ee ee 
524 BRITISH BIRDS. 
Genus CICONTA. 
The genus Ciconia was established by Brisson in 1760, in his ‘Orni-- 
thologia’ (v. p. 361), for a group of birds which was composed of the 
Storks and the Cranes. The latter birds were removed by Bechstein in 
1798, leaving this genus restricted to the Storks. The White Stork 
(the Ardea ciconia of Linnzeus) must of necessity be accepted as the type 
of the genus. 
The Storks may be distinguished by their long straight bills, and by 
having the middle toe united by a web at the base to both the outer toes ; 
they are connected with the Ibises by the genus Tantalus, in which the 
bill is curved downwards. 
This genus contains about fifteen species, ten of which belong to the 
Oriental and Ethiopian Regions, two to the Palearctic, one to the 
Australian, and two to the Neotropical Region. ‘Two species breed in 
Europe, both of which are rare stragglers to the British Islands. 
The Storks frequent marshy districts, fields, and plains, especially those 
near houses and towns. They search the banks of rivers and lakes for 
much of their food, which consists chiefly of small reptiles, fish, small 
mammals, and insects. They walk about very sedately, and have great 
’ command over themselves in the air, wheeling about very much lke 
Vultures. They build a large nest of sticks, coarse grass, &c., either on a 
tree, rock, or building, and their eggs are rough in texture and white. 
