LEAVES FROM THE NOTE-BOOK OF A NATURALIST. 



13 



when they fall in its way ; and as the size of the 

 devourer calls for a vast supply, its consumption 

 of both living and dead things is enormous. 



But why should the bird have been called an 

 adjutant? he looks more like an ancient, me- 

 thinks. 



Very good, sir ; but to say nothing of his staid 

 and solemn gait, just behold him afar off. " I 

 have been told," says Latham, " that the bird has 

 obtained this last name of adjutant from its appear- 

 ing, when looked on in front at a distance, like a 

 man having a white waistcoat and breeches." 



A lofty percher, and a high flyer, so as to give 

 a wide sweep to its ken, in order that it may per- 

 ceive any incumbrance to the land which it may 

 clear away, the bird is gifted with powerful vision, 

 and appliances to assist in keeping it up in the air. 

 It has a cervical or sternal pouch, more or less de- 

 veloped in each of the species, which depends 

 more than a foot in the argala, but much less in 

 the marabou. This, as well as the skin at th 

 back of the head, can be inflated at the will of the 

 bird ; and both, doubtless, assist its buoyancy. 

 From its high roost it looks down, like a free- 

 booter, from its tower : and thereby hangs a tale. 



2 



Almost every living creature may be made a 

 pet ; and Smeathman noticed a marabou which had 

 arrived at such preferment. Roosting high upon 

 the cotton trees, it would sit motionless, till it de- 

 scried from a great distance the servants bringing 

 the dishes to the dinner-table. Then down it 

 came, and took its place behind its master's chair. 

 But it was hard to keep such a portentous piece 

 of machinery as its enormous bill idle in the pres- 

 ence of so many good things ; and the servants 

 were armed with switches to prevent it from help- 

 ing itself. Notwithstanding all their vigilance, 

 however, a Whole boiled fowl would every now 

 and then vanish from the dish, and disappear at a 

 single gulp into the capacious crop of the pet. 



The Jabirus, (Mycteria,) of which there are 

 three species in Asia, South America, and Aus- 

 tralia are closely allied to the family of storks, 

 and especially to the gigantic group which we 

 have here attempted to sketch. 



We cannot learn that any of the storks kept in 

 the Regent's Park have attempted incubation. 

 The Marabou stork, indeed, dawdled about, and 

 made a nest, such as it was, one season, but no 

 egg was laid. 



