Certhia — Ciconia — Cinclus 5 5 



beak is slender and is slightly hooked towards the tip ; it 

 never rests, but is for ever climbing up the trunks of trees 

 after the manner of the Woodpeckers, and it eats grubs, 

 picking them from the bark. 



Of the Ciconia. 



neXapYo?, ciconia, in English a stork, in German eyn 

 storck, and in Saxon eyn ebeher. 



The Stork, though one of the best known of birds among 

 the Germans, is to nearly all my countrymen of Britain as 

 unknown as the most unknown bird. And little wonder 

 since a Stork is nowhere to be seen, save as a captive, 

 in our island. With the Germans the bird nests upon roofs 

 or even chimney tops at times. It is a bird of middle size 

 between a Crane and a Heron and distinguished by feathers 

 of black and white : it has long legs and a beak like 

 a Crane's, but red and stout ; it lives near lakes and marshes, 

 eating frogs, toads, snakes and fishes. 



Pliny on Ciconia. 

 From what parts the Ciconia; may come, or virhither 

 they betake themselves, is not yet ascertained. It is 

 indubitable that they come from far in the same 

 manner as the Grues, but the former arrive in winter 

 and the latter in summer. When ready to depart these 

 birds collect at some fixed place, and after gathering, 

 so that none of their tribe, unless a prisoner or a 

 slave, is left behind, they disappear, on an appointed 

 day, as if by law. No one has ever seen the whole 

 array in very act to go, though it may haply shew 

 itself when ready to depart ; nor do we view it 

 coming, but when it has come. Both these events 

 take place at night. Ciconiae seek the same nests 

 again, and tend their parents in old age. 



Of the Cinclus. 



Kt7«\o?, f\ aeiaoirvyiv, in English a water swallow, in 

 German eyn steynbisser. 



