THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 157 



Food. — Fish, frogs, snakes, molluscs, and small animals 

 generally ; some eat carrion. 



Gait. — A slow walk. 



Flight. — Stately and powerful, with slow flaps or 

 motionless gliding ; they soar very high. Both 

 neck and legs are usually extended ; but the 

 Indian Adjutants draw the neck in. 



Disposition and Habits. — Storks are (except to their 

 prey) harmless and somewhat sociable birds ; at 

 times they are playful, at others they remain quiet 

 for a long time. They perch much, but are not 

 so active in trees as herons. Though waders, 

 they rarely or never wash, and seldom even plume 

 themselves, while they often have dirty legs. 



Note. — Usually only a clattering of the bill ; but 

 breeding Adjutants bellow, and the young of some 

 species utter a wheezing croak. 



Captivity. — Storks live remarkably well in captivity, 

 and the Common White Stork has bred. 



Economic Qualities. — ^They are chiefly useful as ver- 

 min destroyers, but in India the Open-bill {Anas- 

 tomus oscitans) and White-necked Stork {Dissttra 

 episcopus) are eaten as " Beefsteak birds." 



Distribution and Important Species. — There are 

 about twenty species, found chiefly in hot climates 

 all over the world ; but in North America only the 

 Wood-Ibis {Tantalus loculator) is found. The 

 Common White Stork (Ciconia alba) is well known 

 as a summer migrant in Europe and Western Asia ; 

 in its winter quarters in South Africa it is known 

 as the Great Locust-bird ; the Adjutant (Lepto- 

 ptilus dubius) is familiar in India. It is bald- 

 headed, and grey, and stands about four feet 

 high. The South American Jabiru [Mycteria 

 americana) is equally large, but white, with bald 

 black head. 



