THE STORK. 323 



hatched, than the male bird, apparently perceiving the 

 difference, rose from the nest, and flying round it several 

 times with loud screams, disappeared, and was not seen again 

 for three days, during which time the female continued to 

 tend her adopted offspring as usual. Early on the fourth 

 morning, however, the inmates of the house were disturbed 

 by hearing loud and discordant cries in the field fronting the 

 house, where they perceived about five hundred Storks 

 assembled in a dense body, and one standing about twenty 

 yards before the rest, apparently haranguing its companions, 

 who stood listening, to all appearance, with great emotion 

 when this bird had concluded, it retired, and another took it* 

 place, and seemed to address them in a similar manner. 

 This proceeding and noise was repeated by several successive 

 birds, until about 11 o'clock in the forenoon, when the 

 whole flock simultaneously arose in the air, uttering dismal 

 cries. The female was all this time observed to remain on 

 her nest watching their motions with apparent trepidation. 

 In a short time the body of Storks made towards her, headed 

 by one bird supposed to be the mate, who struck her vehe- 

 mently three or four times, and knocked her out of the nest, 

 the whole mass then followed up the attack, until they had 

 not only destroyed the female Stork (who made no attempt 

 either to escape or defend herself), but the young Gosling, 

 and utterly removed every vestige of the nest itself. Since 

 that time, about five years ago, no Stork has been known to 

 build, or even been seen in that neighbourhood. The person 

 who stated this singular anecdote w r as a gentleman of un- 

 doubted veracity, w r ho had been visiting at the house, and 

 seen the preserved remains of the dead Stork and Gosling. 

 It may be added, that in the part of Germany where this 

 occurrence took place, there is a superstition prevalent, that 

 a Stork never builds on a bad man's house, and to such an 

 extent is this notion carried, that if a man were suspected, 

 even of murder, the people could scarcely be induced to bring 

 him before the magistrates, if a Stork was known to build on 

 his house. This is mentioned as one amongst other reasons 



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