9 
AVUITE STORK. 
ill Pevensey Level that a strange white bird, with black wings and red beak and legs, had taken up its 
quarters near the coast, having repeatedly been seen in the neighbourhood of the “ pells ” *. Having little 
doubt that the unknown must he a AV^hite Stork, and not being in need of a speeiraen, I despatched a 
servant who was acquainted with the species to gain information before starting myself. While on his 
w’ay across the marshes, the man clearly identified the bird winging its way towards the Channel, and 
turned back at once to report the result of his journey. I made no attempt to secure this specimen, 
and, to the best of my knowledge, it was not seen again on that part of the coast. 
The specimen in my collection had been, I believe, noticed for some days in Suffolk before he 
made his appearance in Norfolk. I first received word of his arrival from a carrier, who, while on the 
road from Yarmouth to Ilickling, observed the bird fly in from the sea and pitch in the marshes near the 
coast : here he ivas speedily discovered by some Rooks and Peewits and, after continued buffetin^s. 
driven further inland. On searching the ground on the following day I met with no success, and it was 
not till a few days later I learned he had been seen in the neighbourhood of Hickling. On reaching the 
broad and examining the shores with the glasses, I could find no signs of the bird, and the hill to wdiieh 
I considered it most likely he would make his way was tenanted by some hundreds of Rooks quietly 
resting on the bushes or feeding on the marsh. These birds seldom allow' a conspicuous stranger to alight 
in their immediate vicinity without at once making a noisy attack; and while watching in order to ascertain 
if any of their number exhibited signs of excitement, I remarked a Heron that was flying across the hill 
wheel round and attempt to settle in a thick bed of sedge. Refore he had time to alight, the Stork rose 
on wing, and making a most savage attack on the Heron, forced him with loud screams to alter his course. 
After diiving off the intruder, the Stork took up his position on the banks of a dyke then drawdng up 
within range of ^ the punt-gun, we stopped the boat and w’aited quietly to watch his movements. At last 
he flapped some twenty yards out to a shallow pool of water on “ Rush Hills,” wdiere he remained for an 
hour at least, stalking and pecking on the mud : as the direetion in wTiich he moved Avas takino- him out 
of range of the shoulder-gun, and the punt-gun w^as useless on account of the narrow dyke up which 
Ave had Avorked, I was forced to make sure of him, and he fell, shot through the neck, to a charge of 
No. 3. On examination the bird proved to be a male in full plumage; although ho had been (as I 
afterwards learned) for a couple of days in a country abounding with frogs and other suitable food, there 
was nothing except a fcAV large spiders in his stomach. 
The Hickling keeper, John Nudd, aaJio had shot one about thirty years prevTously on “ Breydons 
marshes, near Horsey Mere, informed me that it had been feeding voraciously on young pike of five or 
six inches in length, captured on some flooded ground. He stated that Avhen he shook the bird to dry its 
plumage a score at least of these small fish dropped from its beak. 
The pools of brackish water just inside the sea-beach are usually known among the natives living along the east coast of Sussex by this name. 
