THE WHITE STORK. 195 



and seeking its prey in his fields and gardens. 

 It is peculiarly protected in Holland, where it 

 makes itself very valuable to the inhabitants, by 

 clearing the marshes and humid valleys from the 

 lizards, serpents, frogs, and other reptiles with 

 which they are infested. The Vaudois honour 

 it for the same cause, and will not suffer it to be 

 molested. The Oriental nations generally regard 

 it as a sacred bird, and prohibit its destruction. 

 The Arab looks on its presence as a pledge of 

 the welfare of his family, and would deem it a 

 crime to violate the rights of hospitality due to 

 his winged guest. The Mahomedans call it bel- 

 arje ; and consider it nearly as sacred as the an- 

 cient Egyptians did the ibis. To disturb them 

 would be thought a profanation, much more to 

 kill them. In ancient Thessaly it was so highly 

 prized for its services, in clearing the country of 

 serpents, that its destruction was forbidden under 

 pain of death. The Moors look on it as sacri- 

 lege to kill one of these birds ; and in the valley 

 of Monkazem, in Barbary, it is reported they 

 are more numerous than the inhabitants. 



Nor is it only on account of its usefulness 

 that the stork is thus highly esteemed by man ; 

 much of the honour it receives, arises from its 

 being considered emblematic of high moral qua- 

 lities, of which we shall speak hereafter. It is 



K 2 



