THE WHITE STORK. 39 



as widely entertained that the male Stork's jealousy of any lapse from virtue in 

 his spouse is so great, that on the suspicion of such a thing, as, for instance, on the 

 discovery in the nest of chicks hatched from alien eggs, which may have been substi- 

 tuted for her own, say of fowls or geese, he calls in his male relatives and friends, 

 who, on confirmation of the charge, after due consideration before a " Stork's court," 

 proceed to execute, without delay or merc}^, the. extreme penalty of the law on 

 the erring wife, with their sharp and terrible beaks. 



The White Stork's nest is composed of sticks, lined with reeds, and straw, 

 and varioiis kinds of soft vegetable, or other substances. As the old nest is 

 repaired and added to year after year, it sometimes attains to gigantic proportions. 

 It is formed of a pile of wood, in which small birds frequently build their nests, 

 rising often to a height of five or six feet, with a circumference of twelve to fifteen, 

 and of such enormous weight that, when built on a roof, it becomes imperative 

 from time to time to remove the greater part of the structure. This is generally 

 done during the Stork's migration in the winter. 



The White Stork lays from three to five eggs, at various dates between the 

 end of March and the middle of May, according to the latitude of the bird's home. 

 Seebohm describes the eggs as dull white in colour, rough in texture, and with 

 little gloss, and when viewed by transmitted light, yellowish white inside. They 

 vary from about 2*3 to 3 inches in length, and from 2\ to 2/0 inches in width. In 

 connection with the egg of the Stork, a curious superstition is prevalent in some 

 parts of Spain that, if administered to a drunkard, it will cure him of his evil 

 propensity. Their incubation, which is conducted chiefly by the female, lasts about 

 thirty days, a period during which she is assiduously fed by her lord. The chicks 

 appear between the end of April and the middle of June, the latter being the date 

 about which they may be seen in Holland, North German}-, and Denmark. On 

 emerging from the egg the pullets are helpless, and are fed with half digested 

 food regurgitated by the parents. They are covered with greyish-white down, 

 which gives place to plumage similar to that of the adult ; the colour of their 

 bill, legs, and feet, however, are less brilliant than in the mature bird. 



The fully adult White Stork has the feathers of the whole of the fore neck 

 elongated into broadish plumes. The red beak is long, conical, and pointed. On 

 both the upper and under sides the plumage is pure white, but the wing feathers, 

 with their larger coverts, and the mantle are black ; the outer web of the secondary 

 feathers are grey ; the bare skin round the eyes is black, but below the chin red. 

 The legs and feet are bright pinkish red. The total length of the bird is from 

 three feet to three feet six inches. The female differs from the male only in 

 being somewhat smaller. There is no difference in the colour or the amount of 



