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Mr. Fischer changed eggs of the White Stork for those of the Black Stork, and they were 

 hatched, and the young birds brought up without any apparent hesitation on the part of the 

 foster-parents. 



" The peasantry also look on the Stork as a sort of prophet ; for if when it first arrives it is 

 dirty from having been about in the marshes, they look for a damp season ; but if, on the other 

 hand, it is clean, they say that it will be a dry one. On the Danish islands the peasants believe 

 that, if the first time a man sees a Stork it is sitting still, he will be a wanderer, but if, on the 

 contrary, the Stork is on the wing, he will remain in one place. In Jutland they have an old 

 rhyme in the peasant dialect as follows : — 



Nser a sier en flijw When I see it fly 



Ska a blijw, I shall stay, 



Nser a sier en stoe When I see it stand 



Ska a goe. I shall go. 



" Everywhere in Denmark the Stork is a peaceful and protected bird, except on Bemholm, 

 where it does not breed, and where, if one shows itself, it is generally shot down. The peasantiy 

 hold it sacred, and consider that it acts as a sort of protector or house-god to the house on which 

 it places its nests ; and they therefore protect it to such an extent that it is most difficult to 

 obtain its eggs. It builds not only on houses standing alone, but in the villages and small 

 towns. On some houses there are several nests ; and the villagers put an old wheel or something 

 of the sort on the roof, so as to give a suitable place for a nest, and thus entice the bird to build 

 there. It builds in trees standing alone, and also in those in the forest ; and in Seeland small 

 colonies may be found on trees not far apart from each other. It is peaceful and trustful ; and 

 the Sparrows and Wrens build in full confidence in the huge structure forming the foundation 

 of its nest ; and this is the more curious, as it will sometimes feed on young birds and eggs. It 

 is easily tamed ; and instances are on record (when after its arrival there has been snow and cold 

 weather) of its having taken refuge in the cow-houses, and made itself quite at home amongst the 

 cattle until the weather changed and allowed it to resume its usual avocations in the open air. 



" It feeds on almost all sorts of small animals, but especially on frogs, insects, and larvae, and 

 especially on May-bugs (Melolontha vulgaris), fish, mice, rats, snails, and moles, and is said also 

 to pick up small chickens and ducklings when nothing else comes handy; poisonous snakes, such 

 as vipers, it is said to kill, letting them first exhaust their poison on the feathers of its wing, 

 which it uses as a shield. Its flesh is said not to be eatable. The female incubates the eggs, 

 and during the time she sits is fed with great assiduity by the male ; and both parents feed the 

 young till they migrate. They live in strict monogamy; and the male bird is excessively jealous, 

 not permitting any slip in the morals of his spouse. Sometimes an egg or a young bird is 

 thrown out of the nest ; for what reason I cannot tell, but believe that it is when food is scarce ; 

 or the young bird thus cast out may be weakly and defective, or has been sat on and killed. 

 The nest is a large structure of branches and twigs, almost a cart-load in size, neatly lined with 

 grass, straw, or any other suitable material. In a new nest the sides are not high ; but in an old 

 one they are built up nearly as high as a man ; and sometimes the materials are so piled up that 

 the peasant on whose house the nest is placed is obliged, after the bird leaves, to take away a 

 portion so as to take the weight off the house ; and this is the more necessary, as the Stork adds 



