BLACK STORK. 229 



even mice, worms, and the larger insects, probably add to 

 its usual repast. When searching in thick grass, or in the 

 mud, for its prey, the bill is kept partly open ; by this 

 means I have observed it take eels in a pond with great 

 dexterity : no spear, in common use for taking that fish, 

 can more effectually receive it between its prongs than the 

 grasp of the Stork's open mandibles. A small eel has no 

 chance of escaping when once roused from its lurking-place. 

 But the Stork does not gorge its prey instantly, like the 

 Cormorant ; on the contrary, it retires to the margin of the 

 pool, and there disables its prey by shaking and beating 

 with its bill, before it ventures to swallow it. I never ob- 

 served this bird attempt to swim ; but it will wade up to 

 the belly, and occasionally thrust the whole head and neck 

 under water after its prey. It prefers an elevated spot on 

 which to repose : an old ivy-bound weeping- willow, that 

 lies prostrate over the pond, is usually resorted to for that 

 purpose. In this quiescent state the neck is much shortened 

 by resting the hinder part of the head on the back : and 

 the bill rests on the fore part of the neck, over which the 

 feathers flow partly so as to conceal it ; making a very 

 singular appearance. 



" The Black Stork, perhaps, is not more delicate in the 

 choice of its food than the White species : fish appears to 

 be preferred to flesh ; but when very hungry any sort of offal 

 is acceptable. 



"All birds that pursue their migrative course by night 

 in congregation, have undoubtedly some cry by which the 

 whole assembly is kept together : yet it would appear that 

 at other times the Black Stork is extremely mute ; not a 

 single note has been heard to issue from the bird in question 

 since its captivity." 



Montagu's correspondence with the gentleman from whom 

 he obtained his Black Stork, will be found in ' The Zoologist' 

 for 1850, page 2700, communicated by the late Wm. Baker, 

 of Bridgewater, himself an excellent naturalist. 



A very fine specimen of the Black Stork in the menagerie 

 of the Zoological Society in the Kegent's Park was perfectly 



