STORK. GRALLATORES. CICONIA. 47 



in immense flocks, and, as if to try the strength of pinion of 

 the recently produced brood, make several short excursions, 

 and are much in motion among themselves. After these 

 trials of capability, they suddenly take flight, rise high into 

 the air, and wing their way with great swiftness to the dis- 

 tant climes in which they pass our hiemal months ; and where, 

 it is said, they sometimes produce a second brood. Of the 

 extent of such flocks, some idea may be formed from Dr 

 Shaw's account of those which he witnessed leaving Egypt, 

 and passing over Mount Carmel, each of which was half a 

 mile in breadth, and occupied a space of three hours in pass- 

 ing over. When it sleeps, the Stork, like the Cranes, al- 

 ways stands upon one leg, with the neck bent, and the bill 

 resting upon the breast. It frequently makes a loud clatter- 

 ing noise, by bringing the mandibles of the bill into quick and 

 forcible contact the one within the other ; which peculiarity 

 also belongs to the other species. The food of this bird con- Food, 

 sists of fish, amphibia, moles, mice, insects, and worms, and 

 frequently the young of ducks and other water-fowl ; indeed 

 nothing of animal nature seems to come amiss to its appetite, 

 though Willoughby informs us that one taken in Norfolk, 

 and kept alive for some time, refused toads. 



PLATE 11. Represents the Stork of nearly one-half the size 

 of nature, taken from a fine specimen in the collection 

 of Sir WILLIAM JARDIXE, Bart. 

 The bill and legs are red ; the naked orbits of the eyes Genera! 

 are black ; the irides brown. The whole of the body is 

 of a piure unsullied white, with the exception of the 

 greater wing coverts, scapulars, and quills, which are 

 black. The young are similar to the old birds, except 

 that the black of the wings is not so intense, and the 

 bill is of a reddish-brown colour. 



