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that species, it does not frequent the neighbourhood of dwellings, but is more usually met with 

 in marshes near or in the forests, or far from human habitations. It resembles the common 

 Stork in its general habits, but is far more shy, is found in pairs, and is not, even during the 

 seasons of migration, seen in companies like that species. In confinement it is wilder, and not 

 so easily tamed. Montagu gives some excellent notes respecting the specimen, captured in 

 Somersetshire, which I transcribe from the ' Linnean Transactions' (vol. xii. p. 19) as follows: — 

 " It made little resistance, and on the following day ate some eels that had been placed near it. 

 I was greatly rejoiced to receive this interesting bird alive from Mr. Austin, as its manners do 

 not seem to be much known. Like the White Stork, it frequently rests upon one leg ; and if 

 alarmed, particularly by the approach of a dog, it makes a considerable noise by reiterated 

 snapping of the bill, similar to that species. It soon became docile, and would follow its feeder 

 for a favourite morsel, an eel. When very hungry it crouches, resting the whole length of the 

 legs upon the ground, and supplicantly seems to demand food, by nodding the head, flapping its 

 unwieldy pinions, and forcibly blowing the air from the lungs with audible expirations. When- 

 ever it is approached the expulsion of air accompanied by repeated nodding of the head is 

 provoked. The bird is of a mild and peaceful disposition, very unlike many of its congeners ; 

 for it never makes use of its formidable bill offensively against any of the companions of its 

 prison, and even submits peaceably to be taken up without much struggle. From the manner 

 in which it is observed to search the grass with its bill, there can be no doubt that reptiles form 

 part of its natural food ; even mice, worms, and the larger insects probably add to its usual 

 repast. When searching in thick grass or in the mud for its prey, the bill is kept partly open : 

 by this means I have observed it take eels in a pond with great dexterity ; no spear, common in 

 use for taking that fish, can more effectually receive it between its prongs than the grasp of the 

 Stork's open mandibles. A small eel has no chance of escaping when once roused from its lurking- 

 place. But the Stork does not gorge its prey instantly like the Cormorant ; on the contrary, it 

 retires to the margin of the pool, and there disables its prey by shaking and beating with its bill, 

 before it ventures to swallow it. I never observed this bird attempt to swim ; but it will wade 

 up to the belly, and occasionally thrust the whole head and neck under water after its prey. It 

 prefers an elevated spot on which to repose ; an old ivy-bound weeping willow, that lies prostrate 

 over the pond, is usually resorted to for that purpose. In this quiescent state the neck is much 

 shortened by resting the hinder part of the head on the back, and the bill rests on the fore part 

 of the neck, over which the feathers flow partly so as to conceal it, making a very singular 

 appearance." Mr. A. Benzon, writing to me on its habits as observed by him in Denmark, says 

 that "it appears to arrive earlier and leave sooner than the common Stork. In the forests on 

 the peninsula it is not rare, but breeds only seldom, and not regularly on the islands, as for 

 instance on Seeland. It is any thing but sociable ; and but seldom more than two or three pairs 

 inhabit the same wood, though more commonly but one pair are found in each district. It is 

 much more shy and wilder than the White Stork, stronger on the wing ; and the young birds are 

 able to feed themselves much earlier. The young birds, which are at first covered with greyish 

 yellow down, are soon able to stand in the nest, and are not fed by their parents until they leave 

 the country as is the case with those of the White Stork. The food of this bird is more that of 

 the Heron than that of the common Stork; and it lives, to some extent, on fish, which it obtains 

 both on inland sheets of water and on the sea-coast." 



