34 HISTORY OF 



the white one, but it appears to be much more shy, seldom 

 approaching the habitations of man, and delighting in large 

 morasses, for an abode in which it is in every way fitted, being 

 provided with the long legs of its genus, and semi-membrinated* 

 toes. Temminck informs us, that it is never found in Holland, 

 but affects wooded morasses, and is often found in forests ; 

 also, that it is very abundant in Hungary, Turkey, and Switzer- 

 land, builds in forests, on the highest pines and fir trees, laying 

 two or three eggs of a white colour, shaded with dirty green, 

 and sometimes marked with a few brown spots. Willoughby, 

 who appears to be the first author who gave the name of 

 Ciconia Nigra to this bird, (although others have in modern 

 catalogues obtained the honour, if an attempt to increase the 

 confusion and number of synonyms can be called an honour,) 

 gives the following account of a superstition which existed with 

 regard to it, namely, that "it is said only to live in republics 

 and free states ; but this," he goes on to say, " we found, by 

 experience, to be false, observing them in the territories of some 

 of the princes of Germany." 



It is an old tradition with regard to Storks, that they take 

 care of and nourish their parents when they are too old to take 

 care of themselves, from whence the greek word, TrtAapyi/coo-, 

 signifying the duty of children to take care of their parents, 

 and ireXapyiKot vofjioi, signifying the laws relating to that duty, 

 both derived from the greek word for a Stork, TreXapyoa, from 

 7T\a(T black, and apyoo- white, alluding to the prevailing colours 

 of the Stork. 



The whole of the plumage of the Black Stork, with the 



* In some works, the term semi-palmated is employed as applied 

 to the toes of the Stork, which is certainly incorrect ; we have therefore 

 ventured to employ the term membrinated toes as applied to birds of 

 the Duck species, and semi-membrinated to those of the Stork. 



