THE STORK. 
321 
who, when the latter were feeble or sick, would bring them 
food. 
This affection, however, appears to he mutual, for the parent 
birds have a more than ordinary degree of affection for their 
young, and have been known to perish rather than desert 
them. An attachment of this sort once occasioned the death 
of an old Stork, at the burning of the city of Delft, in Hol- 
land. When the flames approached her nest, situated on a 
house-top, she exerted herself to the utmost to save her young, 
hut finding every effort useless, she remained and perished 
with them. Besides the Jews, other ancient nations held, 
these birds in veneration. A law among the Greeks, obliging 
children to support their parents, even received its name from 
a reference to these birds.^ By the Romans it was called the 
pious bird, and was also an emblem on the medals of such 
I Roman princes as merited the title of Pius. Of their attach- 
ment towards each other, we can give another instance, which 
occurred in this country. 
A gentleman had for some years been possessed of two 
brown Cranes (Ardea jpavonia) : one of them at length died, 
i and the survivor became disconsolate. He was apparently 
following his companion, when his master introduced a large 
looking-glass into the aviary. The bird no sooner beheld his 
reflected image, than he fancied she for whom he mourned 
had returned to him ; he placed himself close to the mirror, 
plumed his feathers, and showed every sign of happiness. The 
scheme answered completely : the Crane recovered his health 
and spirits, passed almost all his time before the looking-glass, 
and lived many years after, dying at length of an accidental 
1 injury. 
In return for this attachment, the male expects the strictest 
fidelity from his partner ; and it would seem, from the follow- 
ing anecdote, that severe punishment awaits the mother sus- 
pected of inconstancy. We do not recollect where the ♦first 
occurred, but the latter, which was seen by numbers of the 
most respectable persons, and communicated from the best 
* neXapyt/co^ vofjiog. 
Y 
