326 STORKS ON HOUSE-TOPS. 



or again "Good morning", gentlemen! How do you 

 do ? " in a male ditto, and much more to the same 

 effect ; the accent and intonation being simply perfect. 



In some countries (as for instance in Morocco) the 

 stork makes its nest on the housetops, or on the 

 mosques and ancient gateways, etc. Actuated by 

 religious motives, these birds are never interfered 

 with by the Mohammedans, and become so tame that 

 a sitting bird will remain on its nest, though sur- 

 rounded by a crowd of human beings, without moving. 

 The picturesque figure of the stork standing on the 

 housetop has often been introduced into pictures of 

 oriental scenes by artists, and its existence as one of 

 the fer& naturcz among the busy haunts of men, is 

 as old as history itself, and is made allusion to in 

 more than one passage in the Old Testament. More- 

 over in many oriental lands, the stork has come to be 

 regarded as the emblem of peace or mercy, * and as 

 such its presence upon the housetops is supposed to 

 bring a blessing with it. 



The kite, and the turkey buzzard, are other types 

 of scavengers, which live among the houses in some 

 parts of the world. In the streets of Vera Cruz in 

 Mexico, for instance, the turkey buzzard used to walk 

 about boldly in droves, and would hardly get out of 

 the way of the passer-by, but would stand within a 

 few feet of him or waddle away before him, exactly 

 like a tame flock of turkeys. 



* Among the ancient Hebrews for instance, the stork was called 

 " Chaseda " or " Chasidah, " signifying " pity " or " mercy " probably 

 from the care it is seen to take of its young. (See Cruden's Concor- 

 dance to the Scriptures, 23rd Edit., 1868. Art "Stork " also Calmet's 

 Dictionary of the Bible, Edited by Chas. Taylor, 1 4th Edit., 1861, 

 p. 840). 



