146 THE BOOK OF BIRDS 



But he is neither so well known nor so popular as the 

 White Stork. He does not seek the haunts of men nor 

 build on friendly house roofs. When he wants to make 

 a home he chooses some tall forest tree, far away from 

 street traffic and human voices. 



So there are no pleasant nursery stories clustering 

 round the name of the beautiful Black Stork. 



Then there is the well-known ADJUTANT STORK 

 that figures in so many pictures and photographs of life in 

 Africa and India. He is greatly valued for the good work 

 he does as a scavenger, especially of the offal thrown out 

 from the butchers' shops. His digestion is really extra- 

 ordinary ; he will bolt the most indigestible-looking things 

 and be none the worse. 



His beaJv is very large compared with that of the 

 White Stork, and huge mouthfuls (a joint of meat, for 

 instance) sometimes find their way down his capacious 

 throat. 



One of these birds, tamed and reared as a household 

 pet, used to stand solemnly behind his master's chair at 

 dinner, and have his portion with the rest of the family. 

 But so shameless a thief was he, that the servants had to 

 have sticks given them to prevent the privileged creature 

 from raiding the dinner-table. Now and then he contrived 

 to dodge or outwit the servants, and gobbled up one thing 

 and another. Once, having picked up a boiled fowl and 

 been chased round the room, he coolly swallowed it whole ! 



There is an amusing story about another Adjutant 

 told in a letter sent home from Stanley Pool by the late 

 Mr. Comber, the Congo missionary, to his little brother in 

 England. 



He had bought the bird from the natives, and its wing 

 being injured it was allowed to strut at liberty round 



