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to its nest every year. If the nest is removed to another place, the Stork takes possession of it 

 next season; and sometimes a peasant sells a Stork's nest to a neighbour, so as to bring him 

 luck. The Stork lays about the latter half of May, from three to five white eggs, which are pure 

 white, and in size from 70 by 54 to 83 by 56 millimetres, the average size being about 80 by 55 

 millimetres." 



My first acquaintance with the Stork was made when a lad at school in Holstein. I had 

 been there already some time before the Storks arrived ; and a nest being outside, on the end of a 

 barn, in sight of the windows, I have often missed my lessons by remaining at the window to 

 watch these birds. The male bird arrived about a week before his mate, and took possession of 

 his nest after a most careful examination of it ; and, from his grave looks and careful inspection 

 of the domicile, he must have felt like a thrifty paterfamilias when a long builder's estimate for 

 house-repairs is spread out before him. However, he did not let the grass grow beneath his red 

 feet, but soon started to work to repair and add to the already huge structure. When the female 

 arrived she was greeted with evident affection ; and, to judge from the clattering of their bills, 

 they must have discussed matters most thoroughly. Soon after her arrival all family matters 

 were comfortably settled, and the business of nidification commenced in earnest. When the 

 female was sitting she was fed with great affection by her attentive husband; and, so far as I 

 could judge, frogs and field-mice appeared to form the chief portion of the food brought by him. 

 With a field-glass I could observe them well, and often amused myself by so doing. I was soon 

 initiated into the strange legends respecting the Stork so current amongst the German peasantry 

 by my great ally the Haus-Knecht, a tall, handsome lad, rejoicing in the name of Joseph, pro- 

 bably because his qualities were any thing but Joseph-like. Joseph assured me with great 

 earnestness that luck was certain to keep to the house on which the Stork built ; and I fully 

 believe that, had the Stork deserted, he would have considered himself and all the household 

 lost beyond redemption. He likewise assured me that the Stork is a most regular tenant and 

 strict husband, and that he paid his rent by throwing down a feather the first year, an egg the 

 second, and a young bird the third year ; and that in case his wife were not most proper in her 

 behaviour he took the law into his own hands, there being evidently no Stork Court of Probate 

 and Divorce, and made short work of her. The Holstein peasantry believe that the Storks hold 

 a sort of court of justice on an offending member of their community, and call it a Storchgericht, 

 or Stork-court. I once saw a lot of Storks collected on a large peat-bog making a great clattering 

 noise with their beaks, which lasted some time, and was followed by an onslaught upon one 

 individual, who, as the Americans say, " went under" in no time. This happened just before the 

 time of migration ; and my own impression is, that the unfortunate victim was a wounded or 

 weakly bird unfit to bear the fatigues of the journey, and, like wise birds, his comrades preferred 

 to put him out of his misery rather than allow him to pine and die by inches when they left and 

 he could not find subsistence. 



Dr. Jerdon, writing on Indian ornithology, states that, " from the open country the Stork 

 frequents, it is well adapted for being hawked, and it is accordingly a common and favourite 

 quarry for a good Bhyri. It is the most gregarious of all the Storks ; and immense flocks are 

 sometimes seen. The name Lag-lag is correctly applied to this species by all falconers ; and I see 

 that it is the Leglek of the Bucharian Tartars, according to Pallas." 



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