308 HBRONS, STORKS, AND TBISES: 
sticks, gradually attains a height of several feet. In the absence of buildings, 
trees or rocks are, however, adopted for nesting. The eggs, usually from three to five 
in number, are pure white. During the breeding-season the birds keep up a constant 
clapping noise with their beaks, and this noise not unfrequently betrays their 
whereabouts when soaring at such a height as to be quite invisible to the naked 

WHITE STORK ($ nat. size). 
eye. As an instance of the constancy displayed by the males and females of this 
species it is stated that for three years a female which remained during the winter 
in Europe, was visited annually by her mate, when both nested as usual. In 
the fourth year, however, the male bird also remained with his partner during 
the winter, and this continued for three years. Eventually both birds were shot, 
when it was discovered that the female had been prevented from migrating by an 
