CICONIA NIGBA 179 



The White Stork commences nesting in Tunisia, and no douht 

 elsewhere in North-west Africa, somewhat earlier than it does in most 

 parts of Europe. As a rule, eggs are laid at the end of iMarch and in 

 April, and young birds may be met with as early as the beginning of 

 May. North of the Mediterranean the season appears to be a good 

 deal later, and at Basle I have found young birds still in the nest at 

 the end of June. I was told that the Storks arrive regularly in this 

 town on or about February 24, and leave again at the end of August. 

 Certainly by the first week of September, when I have more than 

 once passed through Basle, they had all departed. Apparently only 

 one brood is reared in the course of the year. 



In the town of Tunis itself no Storks breed, and the Arabs enter- 

 tain the curious idea that the species never nests in any town where 

 the Bey resides ! The flat terraced roofs and general construction of 

 the houses in Tunis, and some other towns in the Regency, are 

 probably responsible for this absence of Storks' nests. The Tunisian 

 name for this bird is " Belardi." 



The usual nesting-sites of the Stork are undoubtedly the tops of 

 houses and buildings, but occasionally trees and cliffs are resorted to 

 for the pm'pose. Chimney-stacks are much used, and according to 

 Canon Tristram and Loche, the Minarets of Mosques are favourite 

 spots. Corn-stacks and hay-ricks are also sometimes made use of. 

 The nest itself is a large structure, composed of twigs and sticks, with 

 a lining of grass and other soft materials. The eggs, from three to 

 five in number, are pure white and measure 75 X 52 mm. 



The birds return to the same spots every year and each time add 

 fresh material to their nests, which gradually become so huge that at 

 times they have to be removed either completely, or in part. 



CICONIA NIGRA (Linnaeus). 

 BLACK STOEK. 



Ardea nigra, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 235 (1766). 



Ciconia nigra, Bechst. Naturg. Deutschl. iii, p. 56 (1793) ; Sharpe, Cat. 

 Birds Brit. Mus. xxvi, p. 303 ; Whitaker, Ibis, 1895, p. 104. 



Description.— Advit male, winter, from North Tunisia. 



Head, neck and upperparts generally blackish-brown, with metallic 



