THE WADING AND SWIMMING BIRDS. 



177 



Fig. 143. White Spoon-bill. 



143, is nearly three feet 

 long. There is an al- 

 lied species in South 

 America called the 

 Boat-bill. 



287. The Storks are 

 among the largest birds 

 of this order, but they 

 are less aquatic than the 

 other families. They 

 are shaped much like 

 the Cranes, but have 

 not the pendent plumes 

 in the tail. They are 

 abundant in Europe, 

 Asia, and Africa. They 

 winter in the latter 

 country. They build 

 their nests in towers, chimneys, and steeples, or in the 

 broadly-spreading branches of a cedar or pine. In Hol- 

 land, a kind of false chimney is built by the inhabitants 

 for these birds to make their nests in. They live on rats, 

 mice, frogs, and sometimes carrion or offal, and for this 

 reason they are held in esteem, especially in the Eastern 

 countries. The Adjutant of India, which is so useful in 

 destroying vermin and offal, is one of the Stork family. 

 So is also the sacred Ibis of Egypt, which figures so often 

 in their hieroglyphics. 



288. The distribution of the Snipe family is very gen 

 eral. Their food consists of insects, worms, slugs, aquat- 

 ic mollusks, etc., which they obtain by thrusting their 

 long and slender bills into mud or moist earth. Their 

 bills are accordingly provided with nerves, so that they 

 may know at once whenever they strike upon their prey. 

 The flesh of these birds is held in high esteem. The 

 Woodcock of this country has its counterpart in Europe. 

 The Curlews, of which you have an example in Fig. 144. 



