636 AVES—STORK 
always resenting this as an offence committed against themselves. Storks 
are also common at Aleppo, and in plenty at Seville, in Spain. At Bagdad, 
hundreds are said to be seen about the houses, walls, and trees; and au Per- 
sepolis, or Chilmanar, in Persia, the remains of the pillars serve them to 
build on, every pillar having a nest on it. 
This bird bestows much time and care on the education of 1ts young, and 
does not leave them till they have strength sufficient for defence and support. 
When they begin to flutter out of the nest, the mother bears them on her 
wings; she protects them from danger, and will sometimes perish rather 
than forsake them. 
In autumn they retire into Egypt, and the marshes of Barbary, where 
they enjoy a second summer, and bring up a second breod. Their migra- 
tion is performed in immense companies. Dr Shaw saw passing over 
Mount Carmel three flocks of them, each of which was half a mile in 
width, and they were three hours in going by. Bellonius informs us, that 
storks visit Egypt in such abundance, that the fields and meadows are 
white with them, and that the natives are pleased with their ‘arrival, 
as the birds deliver them from innumerable swarms of frogs, and also 
devour serpents. Between Belbeis and Gaza, in Palestine, they perform a 
similar service, by destroying innumerable rats and mice. 
In the northern countries of Europe there are storks, of which the plu- 
mage is black. 
MARABOU STORK) 
4 
Tue marabou stork appears to inhabit nearly the whole of tropical Africa. 
extending southward, according to M. Temmick, to the neighborhood of the 
Cape of Good Hope, where, however, it is by no means common. M. 
Riippel observed it on the banks of the Nile, Major Denham in the neigh- 
borhood of the large towns in the interior, and Smeathman on the western 
coast. The plumes imported into Europe are brought chiefly from Senegal. 
In its habits this bird bears a close resemblance to the white stork of 
Evrope, but becomes still more familiar, and, in consequence of its larger 
size, renders more essential service in the removal of carrion, offal, and other 
nuisances. ‘This important office, like the adjutants of Calcutta, it shares 
with the vultures ; and both birds are universally privileged frora all annoy- 
ance, in return for so meritorious exertion of their natural propensities. 
They seem to be constantly attracted by the heaps of offensive substances 
collected in the villages and towns, which they devour without scruple, and 
in immense quantities. The mode in which the Indian bird performs the 
1 Ciconia marabou, Tamm. 
