UTAH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 203 
population, a census could be taken of them without great 
difficulty in many localities. Their residence is estab- 
lished. Because of the storks’ color, they are easily noted 
in or near their nests either on thatched roofs of houses or 
barns or in large stunted trees near houses. Apropos of 
the thatched roof so commonly connected with the stork 
nest, I will say that I have seen the home of the bird built 
on tiled roofs in a number of cases in one city (Horsens, 
Denmark) of my acquaintance. A pair of young swans 
returning to the home nest and finding it occupied will 
occasionally take up abode on a very undeserving pond in 
order to maintain and secure sole occupancy of the locality. 
The white stork is and has been for centuries the ever 
welcome associate of Danes, Dutch, Germans, Poles and a 
few other nations, who consider it sacred in the sense of 
protecting and loving it and according it the respect due 
a decent neighbor. A similar friendship is extended to the 
mute swan which is given the right-of-way on any pond or 
lake it may choose for a summer home, whether tame or 
wild. In my native country it is a thing unknown to lift 
a gun at a white stork, and I have never heard of a mute 
swan’s being killed; but a different attitude is taken to- 
wards the singing swan, it being hunted like any game in 
proper season. Once in the month of August I saw thirty- 
nine white storks standing together, the largest number 
personally seen at one time. The largest number of mute 
swan seen together at one time flying was eight (in the 
month of May) when the writer was driving past a lake 
upon which the birds undoubtedly had no home as it was 
devoid of islets. 
Different is the story of the black stork. It never 
voluntarily comes near man. Its home is in tall, old for- 
ests, far from human abodes. This bird is a fisherman, 
and I have seen it applying its art in Jutland, alone, but 
not far from our boat. I have never heard of its being 
hunted, maybe because it is not particularly palatable as 
a food. Fish eaters are seldom tasty. 
As previously stated, the singing swan does not enjoy 
the peace and love accorded his brother, the mute swan. 
