136 
THE STORK. 
time to their own country, where they resume the 
human form. It has been conjectured, that this 
tradition came originally from Egypt, where the 
Storks are held in equal respect, as we shall see, 
when we speak of their sacred bird, the Ibis. By 
the Jews the former was also respected, though 
for a different reason ; they called it Chaseda, — 
which, in Hebrew, signifies piety, or mercy,— from 
the tenderness shown by the young to the older 
birds, who, when the latter were feeble or sick, 
would bring them food. 
This affection, however, appears to be mutual, for 
the parent birds have a more than common 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; but 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 Roman 
princes as merited the title of Pius. Of their 
attachment towards each other, we can give another 
instance, which occurred in this country. 
A gentleman had for some years been possessed 
nsAstpy/fcos vofxoq. 
