278 ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE. 



by which the stork that was sitting on it was probably wounded, 

 for it did not fly out of the nest for some weeks afterwards. It 

 was able, however, to take its departure at the usual time with 

 the rest of the storks. But in the ensuing spring a strange 

 stork was observed on the roof of the college, which, by clapping 

 his wings and other gestures, seemed to invite the tame stork to 

 come to him ; but, as the tame one's wings were clipped, he was 

 unable to accept the invitation. After some days the strange 

 stork appeared again, and came down into the yard, when the 

 tame one went out to meet him, clapping his wings as if to bid 

 him welcome, but was suddenly attacked by the visitor with 

 great fury. Some of the neighbours protected the tame bird, 

 and drove off the assailant, but he returned several times after- 

 wards, and incommoded the other through the whole summer. 

 The next spring, instead of one stork only, four storks came 

 together into the yard, and fell upon the tame one ; when all 

 the poultry present — cocks, hens, geese, and ducks — flocked at 

 once to his assistance, and rescued him from his enemies. In 

 consequence of this serious attack, the people of the house took 

 precaution for the tame stork's security, and he was no more 

 molested that year. But in the beginning of the third spring 

 came upwards of twenty storks, which rushed at once into the 

 yard and killed the tame stork before either man or any other 

 animal could afford him protection. 



A similar occurrence took place on the premises of a farmer 

 near Hamburg, who kept a tame stork, and, having caught 

 another, thought to make it a companion for the one in his pos- 

 session. But the two were no sooner brought together than 

 the tame one fell upon the other, and beat him so severely that 

 he made his escape from the place. About four months after- 

 wards, however, the defeated stork returned with three others, 

 who all made a combined attack upon the tame one and killed 

 him.^ 



The curiosity of birds is highly developed, so much 

 so, indeed, that in this and other countries it is played upon 

 by sportsmen and trappers. Unfamiliar objects being 



' Watson, Reasoning Power of Animals, pp. 375-76, where see also 

 some curious cases of male storks slaying their females upon the 

 latter hatching out eggs of other birds. He gives an exactly similar 

 case as having occurred with the domestic cock ; and in Bingley (loc. 

 eit., vol. ii., p. 241) there is quoted from Dr. Percival another case of 

 the same kind, in which a cock killed his hen as soon as she had 

 hatched out a brood of young partridges from eggs which had been set 

 to her. 



