394 AFFECTION FOR YOUNG. 



ance with a supply of food, which their progeny devoured 

 with great avidity. It was an interesting sight, the rather 

 as this stork family, thanks to the encouragement and pro- 

 tection it received, seemed quite as tame as any of the 

 domestic animals about the homestead. 



The stork evinces more than ordinary affection for its 

 young, and has been known to perish rather than desert 

 them. An attachment of this sort once occasioned the 

 death of an old stork, at the burning of the city of Delft, 

 in Holland. When the flames approached its nest, situated 

 on a house-top, it exerted itself to the utmost to save its 

 young ; but finding every effort useless, it remained and 

 perished with them. 



At times, however, this bird seemingly acts a very unna- 

 tural part towards her progeny. 



" Observing a well-grown young stork lying uninjured on 

 the ground near to the nest, which contained two others," so 

 Count Beckfriis's keeper stated to me, "and imagining it 

 came there by accident, I replaced it in the nest. But I was 

 mistaken in the matter; for on the return of the mother 

 presently afterwards, I saw her deliberately oust the same 

 pout from the nest, and precipitate it to the ground. Again 

 I put it in the nest, but only to be cast out once more. 

 My curiosity being now greatly excited, I replaced it for 

 the third time, though with still worse results ; for I had 

 not retired fifty paces from the spot, when the old bird 

 attacked it with her bill so furiously, as literally to tear it 

 styckevis, or piece-meal. 



" On another occasion, and under precisely similar circum- 

 stances, the like result ensued, whence I came to the con- 

 clusion, that this strange and apparently unnatural proceeding 



