il.] STORKS IN SWEDEK. 349 



birds of Calcutta *, we learn that " The Stork is one of 

 the birds which occurs both in Sweden and Bengal ; it is 

 probably found in the latter country only at the season 

 when it is wanting in the former. In the tree-covered 

 vicinity of Calcutta I only saw one, but some miles 

 further north they occur in flocks on the plains : about 

 sixty were counted in one of these flocks. This was a 

 very unusual sight for a European, for the Storks with 

 us live, or at least fly, solitary ; yet in Sweden they 

 assemble in flocks at certain places of meeting, in order 

 to migrate, There has been from time immemorial 

 one of these meeting places for Storks on certain hills 

 near my native place, Hogestad in Southern Scania. 

 These hills lie between Hogestad and Baldringe, on a 

 dry heath, surrounded on two sides by marshes and 

 peat-bogs, about one thousand paces from an open oak- 

 wood, where Storks have always built in numbers. 

 After the Storks in autumn have collected around in 

 parties for some weeks, without keeping near the nests, 

 or roosting in them at night, one may see them some 

 day in the middle of September coming from all quar- 

 ters to the hills in question. The number gradually 

 increases, so that many times more Storks than breed 

 in the district are soon assembled. They are supposed 

 to come hither from a considerable part of Scania, 

 perhaps from all the colonies which are sent out at 

 intervals from the oak-wood above mentioned. Two 

 days thus elapse, during which the birds which have 

 arrived chiefly remain quiet, each by itself, without 

 seeking food, which, however, is to be found abundantly 

 in the marsh close by ; but the following morning they 



* Annals of Natural History, vol. xix. p. 60. 



