188 3TORK. 



The Gentoos believe them to be animated by the souls 

 of the Brahmins, and that they are invulnerable. They 

 soon become familiar, from being treated with indulgence, 

 and feeling themselves secure from annoyance. 



THE STORK. 



The stork is a larger bird than the common heron, but 

 its neck is shorter and thicker. The head, neck, breast, 

 belly, and tail, are white ; and the rump, with the exterior 

 feathers of the wings, black. The eye-lids are naked ; 

 the beak is long and reddish, and the legs are of the same 

 colour. 



The stork so nearly resembles the crane, that, on a first 

 view, they might be confounded; but the former has a 

 peculiar manner, by which it may easily be discriminated. 

 The stork is silent, whereas the crane has a loud piercing 

 voice ; the former preys on frogs, fishes, birds, and ser- 

 pents, while the latter shows a partiality for vegetables 

 and grain ; the crane avoids the abodes of men, but the 

 stork seems to delight in human society. 



Storks are migratory, and generally make their appear- 

 ance in Europe about the middle of March, when they 

 build their nests on the tops of chimneys and high trees. 

 They are sometimes seen on the coasts of England, but 

 have never been known to breed here. 



As these birds destroy a great number of noxious rep- 

 tiles, it is no wonder that different nations have evinced a 

 predilection, and even a sort of veneration, for them. 

 The ancient Egyptians paid divine honours to the ibis 

 ,( which is generally supposed to be a species of stork) on 

 .account of its beneficial qualities. The Dutch to this day 

 .are very solicitous for the preservation of the stork, which 

 .seems to have made itself a denizen of their towns, build- 

 ing on the tops of houses without molestation, and even 

 Cresting familiarly in the streets ; being protected by the laws 

 as well as by the prejudices of the people. Indeed there 

 ?are few towns on the continent, the situation of which is 

 low and marshy, that have not the stork as an inmate; 



