THE STORK. 107 



Description. 



CHAP. V. 



" It was a female Stork whose mind 

 Show'd all the mother, bravely kind, 



In trial's fiercest hour : 

 This bird had bless'd Batavia's lot, 

 High-nested on a fisher's cot, 

 As stedfast as a tow'r." 



MAYLEY. 



i 



THE STORK. 



OF this bird we shall confine ourselves to the 

 most remarkable species which is the white stork, 

 the length of which is about three feet. The bill 

 is nearly eight inches long, and of a fine red co- 

 lour. The plumage is wholly white ; except the 

 orbits of the eyes, which are bare and blackish : 

 some of the feathers on the side of the back and 

 on the wings are black. The skin, the legs, and 

 the bare part of the thighs, are red. 



The white stork is semi-domestic : haunting 



towns and cities; and in many places stalking 



unconcernedly about the streets, in search of 



offal and other food. They remove the noxious 



o ' 



