158 BLACK STORK. 



THE BLACK STORK, CICONIA NIGRA. C. nigra, 

 Will. Ardea nigra, Linn. Cicogne noire^ Temm. 

 Black Stork of British authors. The first spe- 

 cimen, taken in the British Islands, was in Somer- 

 setshire, in 1814, and it fortunately came into the 

 possession of Colonel Montague, who published th 

 record of its appearance, with an account of its 

 habits during the period it continued alive in his 

 possession.* Another was taken, in 1831, on the 

 Thames, a third near Ipswich, and the last in No- 

 vember, 1839, in the Isle of Purbeck, at the south 

 side of Poole harbour, t Its native countries are 

 said to be Switzerland, Hungary, and Turkey, build- 

 ing in secluded forests, on the tops of high trees. J 

 It is also found at the Cape of Good Hope and 

 Madeira. || It is easily tamed, and is an elegant 

 species, its dark and glossy upper plumage contrast- 

 ing beautifully with the white of its under parts, 

 relieved by the deep red of the bill and legs. 



Mr. Yarrell thus describes the bird in the Zoolo- 

 gical Gardens. " The beak and naked skin around 

 the eye are red, tinged with orange ; the irides red- 

 dish-brown ; the head and neck all round, upper sur- 

 face of the body, wings, and wing-coverts, are glossy 

 black, varied with blue, purple, copper-coloured, 

 and green reflections ; the primary quill-feathers 

 and the tail, black ; the whole of the under surface 

 of the body, from the bottom of the neck to the 



* See Trans. Linn. Soc. for 1815. f Yarrel. Selby. 

 Dr. Smith. |J Dr. Heineken. 



