288 
BIRD-LIFE. 
my attention. At first, however, it never occurred to me to 
wish to molest them, till the thought struck me that all the 
other Storks had long since sought their usual dwelling- 
place much farther to the southward; so I shot the pair*. 
The male was in very good case and thoroughly healthy; 
the female, however, was, on the contrary, very thin and 
weak. On examination I found that one of her wings 
had by some accident been broken, and had not quite 
healed again. This misfortune, doubtless, prevented 
the bird from migrating with the main body, and 
obliged it to remain behind; its faithful companion had, 
however, stopped to keep it company. Such incidents 
require no explanation ; they show us plainly that 
marriage, if we may so call it, among birds, is lasting 
and faithful. What we have previously stated is only 
apparently contradictory. 
Birds pair only when full grown, i.e., when they have 
got their full plumage. There are exceptions to this rule, 
which, however, apply only to the female, and that 
seldom ; immature Raptores , and some of the larger Gulls, 
have been found breeding. This, nevertheless, does not 
take place with other birds. Such phenomena are, 
doubtless, caused by the dearth of females, when 
compared with males. 
Both male and female cling to one another with great 
affection, and seek to defend each other, feeling the loss of 
either most deeply, whichever be the one that dies. This 
may readily be observed from the sad lamentations of the 
survivor for its dead mate, and the length of time the missing 
one is often sought after, as well as the total disappearance 
of the survivor from its old home when the search proves 
unavailing. The most touching example of such faithful 
devotion is that shown by the Love-bird which rarely 
