bohm describes two similar nests, situated respectively on an
old oak and a Scotch fir. Mr. W. H. Hudleston in Bulgaria,
Messrs. Elwes and Buckley in Turkey, the Editor in Spain,
and others, have also found this species nesting in clefts and
on ledges of cliffs. The eggs are usually four in number;
coarse in texture; of a dull greyish-white colour, similar to
that of the egg of a Goshawk; and when the shell is held
up to the light, the lining membrane shows green, whereas
it is yellowish in the egg of the White Stork; the average
dimensions of the egg also are smaller, being about 2-6 by
2 in. The male stands by the female while she is sitting,
and both birds show comparatively little fear of visitors to
their haunts. Incubation commences in April, and Mr. See-
bohm found young just hatched on the 19th May. As a
rule the Black Stork arrives at its breeding-stations rather
earlier than its congener, leaving later in the autumn; in
fact, it has once been obtained in Sweden in winter.
The habits of Montagu’s bird in confinement are thus
related in the communication to the Linnean Society that
has already been referred to :—
“ Like the White Stork, it frequently rests upon one leg;
and if alarmed, particularly by the approach of a dog, it
makes a considerable noise by reiterated snapping of the
bill, similar to that species. It soon became docile, and
would follow its feeder for a favourite morsel—an eel.
When very hungry it crouches, resting the whole length of
the legs upon the ground, and supplicantly seems to solicit
food by nodding the head, flapping its unwieldy pinions,
and forcibly blowing the air from the lungs with audible
expiiations. Whenever it is approached, the expulsion of
air, accompanied by repeated nodding of the head, is provoked.
The bird is of a mild and peaceful disposition,
\eiy unlike many of its congeners ; for it never makes use
of its formidable bill offensively against any of the companions
of its prison, and even submits peaceably to be
taken up without much struggle. From the manner in
which it is observed to search the grass with its bill, there
can be no doubt that reptiles form part of its natural food;
even mice, worms, and the larger insects, probably add to
its usual repast. When searching in thick grass, or in the
mud, for its prey, the bill is kept partly open ; by this
means I have observed it take eels in a pond with great
dexterity: no spear, in common use for taking that fish,
can more effectually receive it between its prongs than the
grasp of the Stork’s open mandibles. A small eel has no
chance of escaping when once roused from its lurking-place.
But the Stork does not gorge its prey instantly, like the
Cormorant; on the contrary, it retires to the margin of the
pool, and there disables its prey by shaking and beating
with its bill, before it ventures to swallow it. I never observed
this bird attempt to swim ; but it will wade up to
the belly, and occasionally thrust the whole head and neck
under water after its prey. It prefers an elevated spot on
which to repose : an old ivy-bound weeping-willow, that
lies prostrate over the pond, is usually resorted to for that
purpose. In this quiescent state the neck is much shortened
by resting the hinder part of the head on the back : and
the bill rests on the fore part of the neck, over which the
feathers flow pai’tly so as to conceal i t ; making a very
singular appearance.
“ The Black Stork, perhaps, is not more delicate in the
choice of its food than the White species : fish appears to
be preferred to flesh ; but when very hungry any sort of offal
is acceptable.
“ All birds that pursue their migrative course by night
in congregation, have undoubtedly some cry by which the
whole assembly is kept together : yet it would appear that
at other times the Black Stork is extremely mute ; not a
single note has been heard to issue from the bird in question
since its captivity.”
Montagu’s correspondence with the gentleman from whom
he obtained his Black Stork, will be found in ‘ The Zoologist’
for 1850, page 2700, communicated by the late Wm. Baker,
of Bridgewater, himself an excellent naturalist.
A very fine specimen of the Black Stork in the menagerie
of the Zoological Society in the Regent’s Park was perfectly