38 LEAVES FROM THE 



Very good, sir ; but to say nothing of his staid and 

 solemn gait, just behold him afar off 'I have been 

 told,' says Latham, ' that the bird has obtained this last 

 name of adjutant from its appearing, when looked on in 

 front at a distance, like a man having a white waistcoat 

 and breeches/ 



A lofty percher, and a high flier, so as to give a wide 

 sweep to its ken, in order that it may perceive any in- 

 cumbrance to the land which it may clear away, the bird 

 is gifted with powerful vision, and appliances to assist in 

 keeping it up in the air. It has a cervical or sternal 

 pouch, more or less developed in each of the species, 

 which depends more than a foot in the argala, but much 

 less in the marabou. This, as well as the skin at the 

 back of the head, can be inflated at the will of the bird ; 

 and both, doubtless, assist its buoyancy. From its high 

 roost it looks down, like a freebooter from his tower: 

 and thereby hangs a tale. 



Almost every living creature may be made a pet ; and 

 Smeathman noticed a marabou which had arrived at 

 such preferment. Roosting high upon the cotton-trees, 

 it would sit motionless, till it descried from a great dis- 

 tance the servants bringing the dishes to the dinner- 

 table. Then, spreading its sail-broad vans, down it 

 came, and took its place behind its master's chair. But 

 it was hard to keep such a portentous piece of voracious 

 machinery as its enormous bill idle in the presence of so 

 many good things; and the servants were armed with 

 switches to prevent it from helping itself Notwithstand- 

 ing their vigilance, however, a whole boiled fowl would, 

 every now and then, vanish from the dish, and disappear 

 at a single gulp into the capacious crop of the pet. 



The jabirus (3Iycteria), of which there are three species 

 — one in Asia, one in South America, and one in Aus- 

 tralia — are closely allied to the family of storks, and, 



