ARDEIDX. 363 
longitudinal flight so much to the west.” Colonel 
Montagu, writing again in April of the next year, 
says, “The Stork is so much changed in plumage 
that it would scarcely be known: it now better 
accords with the Black Stork than heretofore, for at 
a distance the whole upper parts appear black, but 
on a nearer view are found to be a dark glossy green, 
except the upper part of the back, which has a re- 
splendence of purple, each feather margined with 
dark green.” It does not appear how long the Stork 
lived, but, like other pets, it died at last: it was 
stuffed, and is now im the Collection of British Birds 
in the British Museum. 
Since the capture of the bird above mentioned 
others of the same species have from time to time 
been taken in various parts of England, and two in 
the neighbouring counties of Devon and Dorset. 
_ The food of the Black Stork consists mostly of 
fish, which was the favourite food of Montagu’s pet, 
although it would eat flesh, and when very hungry 
any sort of offal was acceptable. In a wild state its 
food appears to be more varied, “ fish, snakes, frogs, 
mice, moles, worms, beetles, grasshoppers and many 
other insects, small birds and young poultry if op- 
portunity offers. It goes constantly in pursuit of the 
unfledged young of water and land birds that are to 
be found on the ground or near the water.”* As may 
* Meyer's ‘ British Birds,’ vol. iv., p. 180. 
212 
