CICONIA. 369 1 



feathered around them : lower half of tibiae bare ; tarsi long r 

 reticulated ; feet short, toes broad ; claws very short, broad, 

 depressed. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Head, neck, and back white C. alba, p. 369. 



b. Head, neck, and back black or dark brown C. nigra, p. 369. 



1546. Ciconia alba. The White Stork. 



Ardea ciconia, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 235 (1766). 



Ciconia alba, Bechst. Naturg. Deutscnl iii, p. 48 (1793) ; Bhjth, Cat. 

 p. 276; Irby, Ibis, 1861, 'p. 244; Jerdon, B. 7. iii, p. 736; Blyth, 

 Ibis, 1867, p. 172 ; Hume, 8. F. i, p. 252 ; Butler $ Hume, S. F. 

 iv, p. 22 ; Fairbank, ibid. p. 263 ; Davidson fy Wenden, S. F. vii, 

 p. 90 ; Ball, ibid. p. 230 ; Cripps, ibid. p. 306 ; Hume, Cat. no. 919 ; 

 Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 1119 ; Butler, 8. F. ix, p. 433 ; Parker, ibid. 

 p. 485 ; Reid, S. F. x, p. 74 ; Davidson, ibid. p. 323 ; Davison, 

 ibid. p. 415 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 376 ; Hume, S. F. xi, p. 331. 



Ciconia ciconia, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxvi, p. 299. 



Lag-lag, Haji Lag-lag, Ujli, Dhak, Ghybur, H. ; Wadume Konga, Tel. 



Coloration. White, except the quills, primary-coverts, larger 

 secondary-coverts, and longer scapulars, which are black, slightly 

 glossed with purple and green ; outer webs of secondaries more or 

 less frosted with white. 



Bill fine blood-red, irides brown, naked orbits black ; legs red 

 (Jerdon). 



Length 3| feet ; tail 9-5 inches ; wing 24 ; tarsus 8 (7-9) ; bill 

 from gape 8. 



Distribution. The greater part of Europe and Africa, Western 

 and Central Asia, breeding in the north temperate region, and 

 migrating southward in winter. Storks are fairly common in 

 many parts of Northern India, and they occur in the Deccan, but 

 they are rare to the southward and in Ceylon, where, however,. 

 Mr. Parker states that he found some breeding in December. 

 Hume saw in Manipur birds probably of this species, but perhaps 

 of the Eastern C. boyciana*, which replaces C. alba in Eastern Asia. 

 No white Stork is known to occur in Burma. 



Habits, Sfc. A migratory bird, breeding on trees, and where 

 protected by the inhabitants, as in many parts of Europe and Asia, 

 on houses. In India, where this Stork arrives in October and 

 leaves in March, it is generally seen in flocks on open plains, and 

 it feeds on insects, reptiles, and fish. It builds a huge nest of 

 sticks, and lays 3 to 5 white eggs measuring about 3'2 by 2-15. 



1547. Ciconia nigra. The Black tilorlc. 



Ardea nigra, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 235 (1766). 



Ciconia nigra, Blyth, Cat. p. 277 ; Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 735 ; Butler 

 $ Hume, S. F. iv, p. 22; Fairbank, ibid. p. 263; Davidson $ 



* C. boyciana (Swinh. P. Z. S. 1873, p. 513 ; 1874, pi. i) i* a, larger bird 

 resembling C. alba in plumage, but with a black bill. 



YOL. IT. 2 B 



