316 



8 



It transpired that the Transylvanian had done the deed, having probably 

 sucked the eggs on the spot. We sought him everywhere in the desperate hope that he might 

 have preserved them, perhaps also with the view of taking the change out of him in some 

 other way in the extremely probable event of their not being forthcoming. Fortunately for the 

 Transylvanian he was not to be found. 



" Through the kindness of my friend I was not wholly disappointed after all. The Black 

 Stork returned to her nest and laid two more eggs, which he secured and brought over to England 

 the following summer." 



Mr. A Benzon, who has taken numbers of the eggs of the Black Stork, writes to me that 

 they are much less in size than those of the White Stork, measuring from 64 by 50 to 70 by 53 

 millimetres, the average size being about 68 by 52 millimetres. In shape and grain they 

 resemble the eggs of C. alba ; but the colour of the inside of the blown egg is yellowish green. 

 Eggs in my collection, obtained by Mr. Benzon in Jutland, and by myself in Pomerania, agree 

 with the above description, and I therefore do not redescribe them. Dr. E. Rey informs me 

 that he has measured twenty eggs of the present species and twenty- six of Ciconia alia, the 

 former of which average in size 64-5 by 48*2, and the latter 72 - 7 by 52T millimetres; the largest 

 specimens of C. nigra measure 67*5 by 48 - 0, and the largest of C. alba 76*5 by 53*0; and the 

 smallest of the former 6T0 by 48 - 0, and of the latter 67 - 5 by 52 - 0. He further informs me that 

 he possesses eggs from Oldenburg, Mark-Brandenburg, Anhalt, Silesia, Pomerania, Hungary, and 

 Denmark. 



When quite young the Black Stork utters a peculiar guttural note; but, according to 

 Naumann, when about six months old it ceases to utter any note, but clappers with its bill like 

 Ciconia alba, but not so often or so loud, nor does it make this sound when retiring to roost as 

 does the White Stork. 



It feeds on fish, frogs, snakes, mice, worms, and various sorts of water-insects, but more 

 especially on small fish ; and, being extremely voracious, it does considerable damage in fish- 

 ponds. Naumann writes that the stomach of one he examined contained about twenty loach 

 (Cobitis fossilis), some of which were ten inches long; another had in its stomach three large 

 rudd [Cypfinus erythrophthalmus), about forty young perch (Perca fluviatilis), and several 

 sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus); and a third contained a roach [Cyprinus rutilus) as long 

 as a man's hand, about sixty perch about an inch long, and a frog. 



The Black Stork must be long-lived, as a specimen lived, I am informed by Mr. Gurney, in 

 the Gardens of the Zoological Society about thirty years. 



The specimens figured are in the Gardens of the Zoological Society, Regent's Park; and 

 those described were obtained near Brunswick, and are in my own collection. \ 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



JE Mus. H. E. Dresser. 



a, s ad. Brunswick, May 15th, 1872. b, ? juv. Brunswick, October 3rd, 1872 (M. Schultz). 



