784 
BIBD-LIFE. 
with pleasure, owing to which habit it always has a very 
clean appearance. 
When the Stork knows that it is in a locality where it 
will he welcome, it immediately settles there, as soon as 
the card of invitation—a cart-wheel—is placed on the 
roof. On this wheel the immense nest is built. The 
foundation of this structure is formed of dry branches, 
sticks, twigs, and thorns, intermixed with lumps of earth 
and pieces of turf; on the top of this are laid smaller 
twigs, haulm, flags, some more earth, and finally the 
lining, which consists of pieces of dry grass, roots, dung, 
straw, stubble, bristles, hair, rags, pieces of paper, 
thread, and feathers. The whole mass is slovenly, but 
is very strongly put together. Both Storks gather the 
materials from far and near, carrying them to the nest in 
their beaks. One of the birds usually remains on the 
watch, working up in the meantime the sticks, &c., 
which have been brought home. They show their joy at 
the progress of their work by a snapping noise, which 
they make with their beaks. 
This snapping of the mandibles serves as the means of 
giving vent to their thoughts and feelings to one another, 
for voice they can scarcely be said to possess, a hoarse, 
goose-like hissing note being the only other sound that 
the adult birds are capable of, and that is only uttered 
when they are menaced by attack. The snapping is very 
varied in its character, being sometimes slower or faster, 
weaker or stronger in every possible degree: this 
expresses every feeling of which a Stork is capable,-— 
hunger, thirst, desire, annoyance, and rage. When much 
excited, the bird, while snapping, lays its neck along the 
back, thus throwing itself backwards, which gives it a 
very curious appearance. The young birds learn to make 
