212 THE STORK AND HER YOUNG. 



her young ones from their perilous position, but they were 

 po^Yerless to fly; and finding all her efforts useless, she 

 covered them with her body, and thus perished with those 

 she was unable to save. 



We may quote another illustration, which occurs in a 

 work of some authority : — On the roof of the cathedral at 

 Colmar had been placed a wheel, laid crosswise, in order 

 to induce the storks to build their nests within it ; a 

 custom obtaining throughout Alsace from a belief of the 

 common people that these birds are harbingers of good 

 fortune. The storks had not failed to come, and one 

 might see the sombre outline of a parent bird occasionally 

 standing out in strong relief against the evening sky, when 

 reddened by the splendours of the setting sun. On one 

 occasion, the brood of young storks was observed to be 

 grouped around their mother, who stood erect upon her 

 great claws. None in the nest slept ; it was evident that 

 all were waiting for an absent one — some straggler, per- 

 haps — and from time to time might be heard their wild and 

 disagreeable cry. At leng-th, on the verge of the horizon, 

 was perceived a stork, with outspread wings, cleaving the 

 air like an arrow, and closely pursued by a bird of pro- 

 digious size, apparently a vulture from the neighbouring 

 mountains. The stork was frightened, perhaps wounded, 

 and the cries of those in the nest responded to the parent's 

 cry. The spectators saw the poor terrified bird arrive 

 straight over the nest, and fall there, exhausted either by 

 pain or fatigue. Then the other stork took the place of 

 her companion, and gallantly flew to meet the enemy. 

 Fierce was the combat ; the two adversaries rushed eagerly 



