168 NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



also given. These two, furthermore, agree in being the only two storks in which the 

 ambiens muscle is wanting. Both are natives of Africa. The former w.-js met with 

 by Dr. J. Kirk in the Zambe.«i region. He states that it feeds on snakes, frogs, and 

 fish, which latter it w.is seen catching in the shallow water of the river Hovuma, by 

 running forward ra])idly, so as to make the fish rush past it, when it caught them, 

 kee|iiiig its bill all the while in the water. He assert.s that they are commonly found 

 ill i>airs, — never in large flocks. Mr. Ayres says that occasionally, when the paii-s .are 

 feeding together, they suddenly stop and skip or dance round an<l round in a small 

 circle, then, stojiping to bow to each other, again resume their quaint dance. The 

 bird is white, with the head and neck black, glos.-jcd with bronze-green ; scajiulars and 

 wing and tail featlu-rs black. The bill is descrilxd as bright ciimson with a black 

 's.addle,' as .seen in the figure; the frontal shield bright yellow; shanks and tarsi 

 black, heels and feet brick-dust red. The female is said to have the iris yellow, while 

 it is brown in the male. 



The wliite-l>cllicd stork {S. abdimii) is characterized by its short legs. Above, it 

 is greenish jiurjile, the neck brown with jiurplish gloss. The bill is greenish with 

 orange-red ti]). I)iv Alfred E. Breliin writes thus of it in his journal : — 



"This bird, especially seeking the ju-esence of men, confidingly jn'rches on the 

 tops of those j)eculiar, round, wedge-shaped straw huts of the interior of Africa, 

 adorned with eggs of the ostrich, and here called 'tokalil;' the dweller in the hut 

 rejoices in these ' birds of blessing,' as he calls them, and protects them from foreign 

 disturbance; in fact, he offers the same perfect hospitality to every bird which csttilv 

 lishes its nest near his dwelling. In the storks' nests the chattering host of house- 

 spaiTows build their nests; on the lower bushes, at hardly man's height, are seen 

 many old nests of turtle-doves. I sent my servant .\ali, in spite of his o])position, up 

 the trees to fetdi me down eggs of the storks. He bniught me many, three or four 

 from e.ach ne.st. The Arabs raised a cry of murder, that we disturbed their holy birds, 

 ' simbere, ' and invoked the curse and ]>unishmeiil of heaven upon Aali and myself, 

 which brought him (piite to rage and des|iair." 



The following account by Sir Samuel Baker is said to rel.ate to the present species. 

 The eopper-colored ' fly-catelier,' mentioned therein, is thought to be a Lampro- 

 tomis : — 



"During the march over a portion of the country which had been cleared by burn- 

 ing, we met a remarkably curious hiinting-])arty. A number of the common black and 

 white storks were hunting for grasshoppers and other insects, but mounted on the 

 back of each stork was a large copiier-eolored fly-catcher, which, ])crclicd like a rider 

 on his horse, kept a bright lookout for insects, which, from its elevated j)osition, it 

 could easily discover upon the ground. I watched them for some time. Whenever 

 the storks perceived a irrassliop]ier or other winged insect, they chased tlicin on foot; 

 but if thev missed their game the fly-catchers darted from their backs, and then return- 

 ing to their steeds to look out for another opportunity." 



The ibises and storks have generally been regarded as sacred birds by the people 

 among which thev occur, ami as the Arabs in Africa and Asia are averse to killing or 

 disturbing them, so the European fanner protects the white, red-billed, and red-legged 

 Btork (Ciconia cirouia) which has built its large nest on top of his house; and those 

 ■who are not so fortunate as to ]iosses8 a stork-nest on the roof, fix an old cart-wheel 

 on the riilge, in order to induce a stork family to construct their bulky nest on the 

 foundation thus offered. Year after year the same jiair return to the same house, after 



