Storks.] 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



35 



understood and acknowledged by the stork, that in 

 cities of mixed population it rarely builds its nest 

 on any other than a Turkish edifice. The Rev. J. 

 Hartley, in his ' Researches in Greece and the Levant,' 

 remarks, " The Greeks have carried their antipathy 

 to the Turks to such a pitch that they have de- 

 stroyed all the storks in the country : on inquiring 

 the reason, I was informed, ' The stork is a Turkish 

 bird ; it never used to build its nest on the house of 

 a Greek, but always on that of a Turk.'" 



Where convenient buildings are not to be found, 

 the stork will construct its nest on the flat shelf-like 

 masses of branches and foliage presented by the fir 

 or cedar. The nest is made of sticks and twigs, 

 and is a solid compact mass, lasting for many years ; 

 it is lined with reeds, grasses, and moss. The eggs 

 are from three to five in number, and of a creamy 

 white ; in size equalling those of the goose. Incu- 

 bation continues for a month, at the expiration of 

 which period the young are hatched, and assiduously 

 attended to by the parents until they are fully 

 feathered and able to depend upon their own ex- 

 ertions. 



Elevated on its stilt-like legs, the stork walks 

 slowly and with measured steps, traversing the marsh 

 in quest of frogs and other reptiles, small mam- 

 malia, and even the young of various water-fowl, 

 on which it preys. It clears the streets of carrion 

 and ofFal. Previously to their autumnal return 

 to the south, which occurs towards the close of 

 August or at the beginning of September, the 

 storks of a district assemble together, till at length 

 vast flocks are gradually collected ; all is bustle and 

 commotion ; they make short excursions, and keep 

 up a continual clattering of their bills, under the 

 excitement of the contemplated voyage through the 

 upper regions of the air. On some favourable 

 night they mount up into the sky, and sail away 

 towards their destined haven, returning to their old 

 familiar haunts and a hearty welcome in March or 

 April. 



The stork stands nearly four feet high in its ordi- 

 nary attitude, and measures three feet six inches in 

 length from bill to tail. The eyes are surrounded 

 by a small black naked space, which does not join 

 the bill. The general plumage is pure white, except- 

 ing the quills, greater wing-coverts, and scapularies, 

 which are black. Bill and legs red-iris brown. 



During repose the stork sleeps like the crane, 

 always standing balanced on one leg, with the neck 

 bent, and the bill resting on the breast. 



1918.— The Jabiru 

 {Mycteria Americana). The gigantic storks of this 

 genus, of which one is American, one Asiatic, and 

 one Australian, are characterised by the greatest 

 part of the head and neck being destitute of fea- 

 thers; the bill, which appears to be somewhat 

 turned up at the extremity, owing rather to the 

 curvature of the lower mandible than of the upper, 

 is large, elongated, sharp-edged, and strong ; the 

 upper mandible is nearly if not quite straight and 

 trigonal. Length from the forehead to the tip, up- 

 wards of thirteen inches. Nostrils basal and linear. 

 Anterior toes united at the base by a membrane. 

 Habits closely resembling those of the stork. 



The Jabiru inhabits the borders of lakes and 

 morasses in South America, where it feeds upon 

 reptiles, fish, small quadrupeds, &c. It is of gi- 

 gantic stature, standing between four and five feet 

 high, and is endowed with great power in the head 

 and neck, its long sharp bill being a formidable 

 spear-like weapon. The general colour of the 

 plumage of this species is white ; the occiput is 

 feathered, but the rest of the head and the neck 

 are naked, the skin being black, with a tinge of red 

 about the lower part of the latter. 



1919, 1920. — The Adjutant, or Ahgala 

 {Lcpioptilos Argala). Ciconia Argala, Vigors. 

 In the genus Leptoptilos are placed three gigantic 

 species of stork, distinguished at once by the vast 

 sue and volume of the beak, with a proportionate 

 enlargement of skull and muscularity of neck, 

 which, together with the head, is bare of feathers, 

 and only sprinkled with scattered hairs or a little 

 down. A large pouch of skin, capable of being 

 inflated, hangs like a loose dewlap from the lower 

 part of the neck, anterior to the breast, giving to 

 the birds an uncouth aspect, and reminding us of 

 some of the vulture tribe, a resemblance which 

 their general form, movements, and carrion appetite 

 tend to strengthen. They are in fact voracious and 

 highly carnivorous, and the structure of the stomach 

 IS in accordance with their appetite. The solvent 

 glands are differently arranged from those of any 

 other bird. Instead of being placed round the 

 upper portion of the stomach, they form two circu- 

 lar figures, about one inch and a half in diameter, 

 one placed on the anterior, one on the posterior 

 part of the stomach ; each gland is composed of five 

 or six cells, which pcur out the solvent fluid through 

 one common tube or duct : the gizzard is lined with 

 Vol. II. 



a horny cuticle. (Fig. 1921, the Stomach of the Ad- 

 jutant.) 



Some degree of confusion with respect to the 

 identity of the Indian and African species has arisen 

 in consequence of the misappropriation of names 

 by M. Temminck, who applied the term Marabou 

 to the Indian species, whereas it is the native Sene- 

 gal name of the African species, as Argala is that 

 of the Indian. The term Marabou is given in 

 Europe to the beautiful plumes obtained from each 

 of these birds, but as those of the Indian species are 

 the finest, M. Temminck transferred the name to 

 that bird, and robbing it of its own (viz. Argala), be- 

 stowed it upon the African, thus interchanging their 

 respective titles. This point has been ably cleared 

 up in the appendix to Major Denham's ' Travels.' 



The Adjutant or Argala is a gigantic bird, mea- 

 suring from the tip of the bill to the claws seven feet 

 and a half, and in extent of wing from fourteen to 

 fifteen feet, while in its ordinary erect attitude it stands 

 five feet high. The beak is enormously thick and 

 massive, and the gape wide. 



This bird is a native of the warmer parts of India, 

 and is to be found near Calcutta : its great voracity 

 renders it extremely useful, and it is not only tolerated, 

 but revered by the natives, who are indignant against 

 those who molest it: itswallowssnakes, lizards, frogs, 

 vermin of all kinds, carrion, and bones, and with the 

 kites and crows by day, and jackals and hyaenas at 

 night, assists in the office of " scavenger public," 

 clearing the streets, lanes, and fields of all sorts of 

 ofFal. Sir. E. Home states that in the craw of one 

 of these birds was found a land tortoise ten inches 

 long, and a large male black cat entire. (Ives's 

 ' Voyage,' p. 184 ; ' Phil. Trans.' 1813, p. 77.) 



The argalas, says Dr. Latham, who was furnished 

 by Mr. Smeathman with the account, are met with 

 in companies, and when seen at a distance, near the 

 mouths of rivers, coming towards an observer, which 

 they often do with their wings extended, may well 

 be taken for canoes upon the surface of a smooth 

 sea — when on the sand-banks, for men and women 

 picking up shell-fish or other things on the beach. 

 One of these, a young bird about five feet high, was 

 brought up tame, and presented to the chief of the 

 Bananas, where Mr. Smeathman lived ; and, being 

 accustomed to be fed in the great hall, soon became 

 familiar, duly attending that place at dinner-time, 

 placing itself behind its master's chair, frequently 

 before the guests entered. The servants were obliged 

 to watch narrowly and to defend the provisions with 

 switches ; but, notwithstanding, it would frequently 

 seize something or other, and once purloined a whole 

 boiled fowl, which it swallowed in an instant. Its 

 courage is not equal to its voracity, for a child of 

 eight or ten years old soon puts it to flight with a 

 switch, though at first it seems to stand on its defence, 

 by threatening with its enormous bill widely extended, 

 and roaring with a loud voice like a bear or tiger. 

 It is an enemy to small quadrupeds, as well as birds 

 and reptiles, and slily destroys fowls or chickens, 

 though it dares not attack a hen openly with her 

 young. Everything is swallowed whole ; and so 

 accommodating is its throat, that not only an animal 

 as big as a cat is gulped down, but a shin of beef 

 broken asunder serves it but for two morsels. It is 

 known to swallow a leg of mutton of five or six pounds, 

 a hare, a small fox, &c. After a time the bones 

 are rejected from the stomach, which seems to be 

 voluntary, for it has been known that an ounce or 

 two of emetic tartar given to one of these birds 

 produced no effect. ('Gen. Hist, of Birds,' ix. 40, 

 41.) 



General colour above ash grey; under parts white. 

 The under tail-coverts delicate and floating, forming 

 plumes of the most exquisite texture. 



1922.— The Marabou 



(Leptoptilos Marabou). Ciconia Marabou, Vigors, 

 not Temminck. The beak of this species is repre- 

 sented at Fig. 1923. 



The Marabou is smaller than the Argala ; it is a 

 native of tropical Africa, and the neighbourhood of 

 the large towns of the interior, where it was seen by 

 Major Denham, in the character of a privileged 

 visitor, on account of its utility as a scavenger. It 

 is easily domesticated, and becomes annoyingly fa- 

 miliar; it has been known not only to snatch pieces 

 of meat from the table, but a boiled fowl, swallow- 

 ing it at a bolt. The marabou flies high, and roosts 

 in the topmost branches of tall trees, whence, as 

 from a watch-tower, it looks abroad for its prey. 



The third species is a native of Java and Sumatra, 

 where it is called, according to Marsden, Boorong 

 Cambing, or Boorong oolar. It is described by 

 Dr. Horsfield as the Ciconia Javanica (Leptoptilos 

 Javanicus). 



Family TANTALID^ (IBIS, TANTALUS). 



In the birds of this Family the beak is arched, 

 the apex blunt, the upper mandible channelled ; 

 some portion of the head, sometimes the head and 



neck, are destitute of feathers, 

 sembling those of the stork. 



Habits closely re> 



1924.— The Glossy Ibis 



(Ibis Fakinellus). Tantalus Falcinellus, Linn. ." 

 le Couriis vert of Bufibn; Green Ibis, Latham; 

 Glossy Ibis of the same. 



This species, probably the black ibis of Herodotus, 

 and celebrated for destroying snakes, whence it was 

 one among the sacred birds of Egypt, is migratory 

 in its habits, annually visiting the borders of the 

 Danube, Poland, Hungary, and Siberia, and occa- 

 sionally other countries still more to the west; 

 sometimes even appearing in our island. It is com- 

 mon through the greater part of Asia and Africa, 

 and its remains, with those of the sacred ibis, are 

 found amongst the mummies of the Egyptian cata- 

 combs. 



The glossy ibis lives in societies, and its migra- 

 tions are performed in numerous flocks. It fre- 

 quents the banks of rivers and lakes, and grounds 

 recently inundated, feeding on reptiles, worms, in- 

 sects, and also aquatic plants. Its general colour 

 above is glossy greenish black with a metallic lustre, 

 under parts bright chestnut; a naked skin ex- 

 tending from the bill to the eye is green ; bill and 

 legs blackish green. 



1925, 1926.— The Sacred Ibis 

 (Ibis religiosa. Cuv.). Tantalus .iEthiopicus, La- 

 tham ; Abou Hannes, Bruce. This species is no 

 doubt the white ibis of Herodotus, described as 

 being "familiar with man, and having no feathers on 

 the head and neck ; white all over, except the head 

 and neck, the tips of the wings, and the end of the 

 rump, which are very black." 



It is to the celebrated traveller Bruce that we 

 owe the recognition of this species as the sacred 

 ibis, abundantly represented on Egyptian monu- 

 ments, but which had been regarded by Linnaeus as 

 the Tantalus Ibis, a species which, as Cuvier ob- 

 serves, is not of common occurrence in Egypt, but 

 is brought from Senegal. The views of Bruce have 

 since been amply confirmed by GeofFry, Savigny, 

 and Baron Cuvier, as well as by other naturalists. 



The sacred Ibis, called in Upper Egypt and Ethi- 

 opia, Abou Hannis, or FatherJohn, and by the peo- 

 ple of Lower Egypt Abou-menzel, or Father Sickle- 

 bill, visits that country, being a migratory bird, as 

 soon as the waters of the Nile begin to rise ; and 

 their numbers increase with the spread of the inun- 

 dation, and diminish as it subsides. On their first 

 arrival, they repair to the low lands over which the 

 water is beginning to flow, and as its depth and 

 extent augment, they gradually retire to higher 

 grounds, and spread themselves along the sides of 

 canals and watercourses which intersect the culti- 

 vated country. 



This species lives either solitary or in small com- 

 panies of eight or ten individuals, which may be 

 seen leisurely walking about, or exploring the 

 humid ground and mud in quest of food, which 

 consists of land and fresh-water shells, which are 

 swallowed whole, together with worms, insects, and 

 small reptiles. Its flight is lofty ; and, as it sweeps 

 along from one spot to another, it utters at intervals 

 a hoarse loud cry. 



Where the Sacred Ibis breeds does not appear to 

 be ascertained : most probably in the central parts 

 of Africa. Salt, on rounding Cape Guardafui from 

 the south, saw near the coast a lagoon abounding in 

 wild-fowl, and on the borders of it stood numbers 

 of these birds, which, as he says, are called Abou 

 Hannes by the Arabs, the true Ibis of the Egyptians, 

 as described by Herodotus, a fact proved by the 

 head and neck being bare and of a deep black 

 colour. " It may be worthy," he adds, " to remark 

 that Strabo mentions this bird as frequenting the 

 coast to the east of the Straits of Babelmandeb."' 

 It has been a matter of dispute whether this ibis 

 kills and devours snakes, or the contrary, Herodotus 

 having stated that armies of flying serpents, the 

 bones of which he saw in incredible multitudes in a 

 narrow gorge between two mountains in a part of 

 Arabia, a little beyond the city of Brutus, were inter- 

 cepted every spring by the ibis, and destroyed. It 

 would appear, however, that it was not by this bird, 

 but by the black ibis, that this feat was annually 

 performed. That both birds may swallow small 

 snakes we cannot doubt ; but the narration of 

 Herodotus carries with it its own refutation. He 

 saw the bones of snakes in incredible multitudes, 

 whence it may be inferred that the reptiles in ques- 

 tion were not devoured at all ; and we cannot sup- 

 pose the ibis would kill them for any other object 

 than that of preying upon them. It is evident that 

 Herodotus was himself imposed upon : he describes 

 the serpents, which he does not say he had seen 

 alive as resembling the water-snake, but with wings 

 destitute of feathers, and smooth like those of a bat. 

 M. Savigny found in the crops of the fiesh-killed 

 specimens of the sacred ibis, which he examined in 

 Egypt, only land and fresh-water shells (Cyclasto- 



F2 



