496 CLASS AVES. 



of their own welfare and that of their family; and to violate 

 the rites of hospitality to their winged guests, is considered 

 as no small crime in the eyes of those barbarians. Among 

 the Turks, and the Orientals generally, the stork is looked 

 upon as a sacred bird, and its destruction rigorously pro- 

 hibited. From the letters of Lady Mary Wortley Montague, 

 we learn, that they are so much imder the protection of the 

 authorities at Constantinople, that they nestle on the ground, 

 in the streets of that city. But they are not so bold in the 

 countries of Christendom, where they prefer the most elevated 

 positions on which to establish their domicile. The Maho- 

 medans call the stork bel-arje, and it is nearly as sacred 

 among them as the ibis was among the ancient Egyptians. 

 Even to disturb them, and much more to kill them, would be 

 regarded as a terrible profanation. In ancient Thessaly, the 

 penalty of death was annexed to the murder of any one of 

 these birds, so precious were they to that country for their 

 destruction of the serpent race. Among the Moors they owe 

 their security to a religious feeling, for that people believe 

 that, at the prayer of Mahomet, God transformed into these 

 birds a troop of Arabs who were robbing the pilgrims of 

 Mecca.* In Barbary, the great resort of the storks is the 

 valley of Moukazem, where, it is reported, they are more 

 numerous than the inhabitants. The eaters of them, among 

 the ancient Romans, were exposed to the raillery of the 

 people. 



The natural disposition of the white stork is very gentle ; 

 it is neither wild nor distrustful, is easily tamed, and will 

 live in our gardens. It would appear that it has some 

 ideas of cleanliness, for it will chuse a remote and hidden 

 place in which to deposit its excrements. Although its phy- 



* This appears rather strange. One might imagine that such a notion 

 would contribute to any thing but the security of the storks. But there is 

 no accounting for the whims of superstition. " Non insanire parat certa 

 ratione modoque." 



