392 ITS DOMESTICITY. 



himself fell lame without visible cause, and became a cripple 

 for life ; which infliction was looked upon by his neigh- 

 bours as a just punishment for the heinous offence he had 

 committed." 



From being left thus unmolested, the stork becomes 

 exceedingly tame, and will hardly get out of one's way. It 

 frequently makes its nest in the wilds of the forest, as also, 

 in the manner of the magpie, in detached trees immediately 

 about human habitations; but it builds just as often on the 

 roof, or it may be on the chimney, of the cottage itself, where, 

 to facilitate its operations, the peasants not unfrequently affix 

 a broken cart-wheel, or the like. The nest Is composed of 

 sticks and similar materials ; and as it is often made use of 

 for several generations together, it becomes at length, from 

 annual repairs and additions, of a most goodly size. Occa- 

 sionally it is said to be from four to six feet in height ! 

 Though propped up to guard against the contingency, I 

 have heard of the roof of a cottage, or outbuilding, actually 

 breaking down under the weight of a stork's nest. Numbers 

 of sparrows usually breed in the sides of these gigantic nests. 

 The stork, according to popular belief, is not unmindful of 

 the kindness shown to It; and the eggs or young ones, as 

 the case may be, that are frequently found outside of the 

 nest, are considered by the peasants to be tokens of its 

 gratitude. 



The female lays from four to five oval-shaped eggs, of a 

 dirty- white colour. They are two inches and seven-eights In 

 length, by two inches in thickness. She Is said to sit for 

 about three weeks. 



From the great number of storks that breed unmolested 

 in the south of Sweden and in Denmark, one might be led 



