The herald., 1894-12-27
STORIES OF STORKs.
A BIRD THAT DISPLAYS AN iNTELLi-
GENCE ALMOST HUMAN.

Their Regular Annual visit to StrasburS
Meetings at Which the storks Undoubt
edly Discuss Their Afairs and Reach
Conclusions.
Twenty years ago resided at Stras.
burg, in the vicinity of the old Protes-
tant church called the Temple Neup.
It was structure built wholly of brick,
somewhat unsightly, very large and
capped by an immense roof. The church
had no spire, and the choir, which was
detached from the nave, at that time
sheltered the municipal library. All
that was since destroyed by the bom-
bardment.
Regularly every year, between the
10th and goth of August, all the storks
of the city came toward evening to meet
at the Temple Neup. They arrived from
the neighboring chimneys, old and
young, and placed themselves in long
row upon the comb Of the roof. 1t was
curious scene to see all those big
white birds, with their slender bills,
mounted upon their slender stills. They
tapped their wings, standing first on
one and then on the other leg, while
making that noise quite peculiar to
storks called "clapper. Some old ones
were busily flying here and there, as if
to give out the countersign. Messengers
were dispatched to the stragglers to
hasten their arrival.
The meeting lasted at least one hour,
after which each family retired to its
nest, to return next evening at the same
hour. Again the inspection was gone
through by the elders and the counter
sign repeated. This parting review was
renewed three or four times in success
sion, and one fine morning the Stras-
burgers observed with regret that all
the storks had vanished.
The habit of annual migrations
among storlss is as old as the world.
Pliny the Elder, who perished on the
day when Pompeii and Herculaneum
disappeared testifes to that effect. In
/ his History of Nature" he expresses
himself as follows:
whence come the storks, and whith.
or do they go? 1t is still problem. No
doubt they come from afar, the same as
the cranes. The latter travel in the sum-
ner. the storks in the winter. No one
fails to come to the meeting unless sick
or prisoner. They depart all at once,
as if the day were fixed by law. No one
ever saw them leave, although they
make no secret of their intentions. We
observe soon enough that they have
come back, although no one saw them
arrive. The arrival and departure inva-
riably take place at night"
What was said of the storks 1S CEN
turies ago is still the truth. These beasts
arc too intelligent to change their hab.
its. 1t is quite certain that their migra-
tions are concerted. The time is decided
upon and the place selected. The con-
sultations do not transpire without dis
cussion. Everything is not harmonious
at first. The young, the inexperienced,
want to remain little longer. The old
and wise, the veteran travellers, insist
upon departure. They argue that the
autumn rains beat down the insects,
which then seek refuge in the ground.
Thenceforth food becomes soarcer-"we
must seek milder climates" But the
way there is immense. Distant noun
tains seas and deserts must be traversed.
Winds are variable, and all kinds of
perils must be affronted. However, the
feebler ones take heart in thinking of
the large number Of their travelling COM
panions and the pleasure of basking in
q warmer sun. The day of departure is
fixed.
Where do the storks go to spend the
winter? In warmer latitudes, in Greece,
in Arabia, around Mount Sinai and
Egypt and throughout Africa down to
tho cape of Good Hope.
AT Basle," says Toussenel, Sin a
room Of the city hall, is a stuffed stork
whose body is pierced through by an
African arrow from the vicinity of the
cape. This accident had not hindered
the bird from starting with the others
on their northern voyage"
The storks return to Alsace in tie
spring, and the same couple reoccupy
the same nest. These nests are invaria-
bly, installed on the top Of chimneys,
which, in Strassburg, are high and
broad and generally in groups of three
or four The upper surface thus consti-
tutes a sort of platform overlapping the
lateral openings whence escapes the
smoke. 1t is thus that storks establish
their domicile, affecting the disposition
of a basket, lined inside with straw,
feathers and down, a warm bed for the
eggs to be Matched in.
The valley of the Rhine seems to be a
resort of prediction for the race Of
storks. From Basle all the way to Hol-
land you find storks dwelling on the
chimney tops. Today France has no
longer any storks. She lost them when
she lost Alsace.
Wherever the storks reside, whether
on oriental minarets or on the church
steeples of Germany, everywhere they
are revered by the people. They are
sacred birds. 1t is incontestable that
Gtorks render valuable service. They are
the foes of snakes and other reptiles,
molos, field mice and every sort of ver-
min. They arc seen gravely following
the plow and devouring the larvae of the
May bug, which the furrow turns to
the light. Never a sportsman fires at
Etork. have to think that the immu-
nifty which this bird enjoys is due to its
virtues. 1t would distress me to think
that it is respected only because it's flesh
is unpalatable. However that may be,
old legends regard the stork as bird of
good omen. French of Maurice Engel-
hard.