382 
THE JABIRU IN CAPTIVITY. 
Why he should be called the Senegal jabiru, we are at a loss to 
comprehend, for he is found also in the south-east of the African con- 
tinent, and on the banks of both the White and the Blue Nile. In 
fact, he ranges as far north as the fourteenth parallel of latitude. But, 
wherever he is met with, his habitat is the same, — the border of the 
river, the sand-bank, the margin of the lake, pool, or morass. In the 
rainy season he sometimes forsakes the neighbourhood of the rivers ; 
sometimes, too, he is found on the sea-shore. Not unfrequently he 
mingles with the other birds of the marshes ; but he and his mate are 
always faithful to one another. 
The mien and gait of the jabiru, we are told, sufficiently indicate 
that he has a sublime self-consciousness of his own worth. The mara- 
bout stork, or adjutant, so famous for his beautiful plumes, is his equal 
in size, and not his inferior in intelligence ; yet he cannot bear the 
ordeal of comparison as regards his " deportment," which would have 
charmed Mr. Turveydrop. All the movements and postures of the 
Senegal jabiru are elegant and graceful, harmonizing perfectly with the 
beauty of his plumage. 
His dietary differs little from that of the European stork, and 
includes fish, reptiles, and insects. Like the stork and the adjutant, 
he is one of Nature's scavengers. 
Bennett furnishes an interesting account of the ways and habits of 
the jabiru in captivity. He confirms the general statement as to the 
grace and becomingness of the bird's air and bearing ; and adds that 
he is of a mild disposition, rapidly accustoming himself to loss of 
liberty, and apparently taking a great delight in being observed ami 
admired. His large shining eyes are fuU of intelligence. One of 
Bennett's jabirus had been tamed before he acquired possession of 
him, and he quickly adapted himself to his new conditions of life. On 
the evening of his arrival at Sydney, as soon as the lamp was lighted 
in the ante-chamber he entered the house, ascended the stairs as if to 
look for a place where he might pass the night, explored the whole 
place in a moment, and finally established himself inside a carriage, 
which he thenceforth adopted as his abode. During the day he 
kept to the courtyard, seeking especially all the sunny places. The 
