NOTE-BOOK OF A NATURALIST. 29 



Of their love of chastity and hatred of infidelity, which 

 they punish vnth the utmost severity, the ancients tell 

 equally edifying tales. Does a storkess go wrong, her 

 stork finds it out and takes no notice to her ; but quietly 

 flies off and brings a crowd of avengers Avith him, who 

 tear the adulteress to pieces. Beware all ye on whose 

 house-top a stork nestles. Be sure he will find your sin 

 out. The slave was very joyous with his beautiful but 

 frail mistress in the absence of his master; till, one fine 

 morning, the stork of the house, taking him at advan- 

 tage, flew at him and pecked his eyes out. 



When the storks return, the males are said to precede 

 the females some days, during which time they refit the 

 nests, and make all ready and comfortable for their 

 better halves. And when these arrive, each flying to 

 her own mate — ^ye gods ! what billing, and clattering, 

 and hymeneal joys do abound, if we are to believe the 

 old chronicles. 



For temperance, too, the stork was as highly praised 

 by the ancients as Father Mathew is by the modems. 



But the piety of the bird ! Ah, there was its strong 

 point. Did it not give the hint for the Leges CiconiaricB, 

 by which children were compelled to support their 

 parents, and are they not law to this day? If you 

 doubt, turn to the Birds of Aristophanes, and his sharp 

 satire upon the unplumed biped there extant. 



Did not the pious ^neas, when he bore the good 

 Anchises on his shoulders, learn from the stork, which, 

 even when danger did not threaten, and his aged parent 

 had been obliged to take to the nest again in his second 

 chickhood, carried the infirm ancient out for an airing on 

 his more juvenile shoulders ? What says the old French 

 quatrain ? 



Le Cicogneau, ayant prins sa croissance 

 Porte et nourrit ses pere et mere vieux. 

 Ainsi chacun d'aider soit envieiix 

 Son pere vieil tombe en decadence. 



