782 
BIRD-LIFE. 
members of its host’s family, greets with pleasure such 
persons as are kind to it when they come into the 
yard, and appears to fulfil with pleasure the role of a 
pet of the human race. 
Where, however, the Stork’s social relations with man 
are not so intimate, its conduct is quite different. In 
such localities it will scarcely permit the approach of 
peasant, shepherd, or child, and avoids the gunner with 
the greatest care. The closer an enemy approaches the 
more cautious it is, and it becomes a matter of difficulty 
to shoot with a rifle one that, under other circumstances, 
would greet you in a friendly manner from the top of 
your house. Storks are exceptionally shy when on the 
“ passage,” unless general dearth of food renders them 
otherwise. 
One is apt to regard this bird as an inoffensive indi¬ 
vidual, whereas it is, on the contrary, very violent and 
spiteful. Storks have been known to come and seize 
strange nests by storm, murdering the young in them, in 
spite of the desperate resistance offered by the parent 
birds. The Stork is not very peaceably disposed towards 
those weaker than itself, and will even attack those 
stronger, when driven to close quarters. A wounded 
Stork fights bravely, striking furiously with its beak at 
the eyes of its assailant. Many Storks are excessively 
quarrelsome, and will fight to the bitter end with 
those of their own species, and it not unfrequently 
happens that in such duels one combatant leaves tile 
other dead on the field. The ways and means by which 
they obtain their food, as Naumann suggests, make 
murder a habit with these birds. They are robbers in the 
fullest sense of the word, for they feed entirely on animal 
food, despising anything in the way of vegetable diet. 
