120 WHITE STOBK. 



haranguing its companions, who stood listening, to all ap- 

 pearance, with great emotion. When this bird had concluded, 

 it retired and another took its place, and seemed to address 

 them in a similar manner. This proceeding and noise was 

 repeated by several successive birds, until about eleven o'clock 

 in the forenoon, when the whole flock simultaneously arose 

 in the air, uttering dismal cries. 



The female all this time was 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 male, who struck her 

 vehemently three or four times, and knocked her out of the 

 nest; the whole mass then followed the attack, until they 

 had not only destroyed the female Stork, (who made no 

 attempt 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 ever been seen in that neighbourhood. 



The person who stated this singular anecdote was a gentleman 

 of undoubted veracity, who had been visiting at the house 

 and seen the preserved remains of the Stork and dead 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 sus- 

 pected, even of marder, 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 why the gentleman permitted such, in some 

 respects, troublesome birds to build on his chimney-top 

 unmolested.' 



The Stork, in the attitude of repose, always stands on one 

 leg, with the neck bent, and the bill resting on the breast. 



They feed on almost anything small animals, young birds, 

 water insects, reptiles, fishes, and worms. If they can, they 

 wash the food they take from the ground, in water, before 

 swallowing it. They may be seen stalking about in the 

 fields, or standing on one leg by the river side, watching for 

 some prey to come within reach. 



They frequently make a loud clattering noise, by snapping 

 the upper bill and the lower together with force and 

 quickness. This sound is produced both in flight and when 

 the bird is sitting on the nest. It is common to both the 



