FIFTH DAY. 79 



This was the first time I had ever had a chance of closely 

 inspecting this bird, which has been so hardly dealt with 

 by civilization, and has now become so very scarce. 



We, who were accustomed to the poor fauna of the Central- 

 European forested woods, which generally consists of un- 

 important birds, could not help wondering at seeing this 

 huge and very handsomely coloured marsh-bird in the midst 

 of dense deciduous woods. I had always thought of the 

 Black Stork as congregated in colonies on the silver poplars of 

 the " auen," and as resembling the Common Heron in habits 

 and customs ; but I was much mistaken, for the inland 

 woods are its true habitat, and each pair breeds apart from 

 the others on the lower branches of old oaks. This beautiful 

 and, I might say, almost exotic-looking bird is a great 

 ornament to the lonely forest solitudes, with which it com- 

 pletely harmonizes. One sees from afar its tall form, pure 

 white breast, dark sheeny-green back and neck, purple-red 

 bill, and similarly coloured legs, supported on one of which, 

 and holding the other high up, the female stands on the 

 nest, while the male generally takes up his position on a 

 thick branch close by. 



They do not look much about them, and in districts where 

 they are not disturbed betray not the slightest interest even 

 at the approach of man ; and I know of no other of our 

 European birds in whose whole being the idea of ennui 

 is so completely personified as in the Black Stork. 



I found three nests pretty near each other, and from the 

 first I shot the female as it flew off a splendid specimen. At 

 the report of my gun all the others rose and circled round, 

 with their long outstretched necks. Some Black Kites were 

 also playing about over the tops of the trees, and I brought 

 down one which was bold enough to come very near me. 



There was nothing more to do for the present in this part 

 of the wood, for the storks had much resented this dis- 



