STORK, Ciconia, a kind of Bird well known. The Hebrews call it Chaseda, or Chasida,1 which signifies Pity or Mercy; probably, because of the Tenderness it shews to its Parents, which it never forsakes, but feeds and defends even to Death. The Stork is a Bird of Passage, which in Winter goes into the hot Countries. Jeremiah says, The Stork in the Heaven knoweth her appointed Times, and the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow observe the Time of their coming. St. Jerom and the Septuagint sometimes render the Hebrew word Chasidah by Herodius the Heron, and sometimes by Pelican, or Kite; but Interpreters are pretty well agreed, that it signifies a Stork. Moses places it among unclean Birds. The Psalmist says, As for the Lev. xi. 19. Deut. xiv. 18. Psal. civ. 17.Stork, the Fir-trees are her House. In our Parts of the World, she rather makes her Nest upon some high Tower, or the Top of an House; but in Palestine, where the Coverings of their Houses were flat, she built in the highest Trees. Profane Authors speak much of the Piety of the Stork, and its Gratitude towards its Parents. St. Ambrose says,2 that for this Reason the Romans call’d it Avis pia; and one of their Poets3 calls it Pietatis cultrix :
Ciconia etiam grata, peregrina, hospita,
Pietati-cultrix, gracili-pes, crotalistria.
The Stork has its Beak and its Legs long and red; it feeds upon Serpents, Frogs, and Insects: Its Plumage would be quite white, if it was not that the Extremity of its Wings are black, and also some small part of its Head and Thighs: It sits for the Space of thirty Days, and lays but four Eggs. Formerly they would not eat the Stork, but at present it is much esteem’d, for the Deliciousness of its Flesh. They go away in the Middle of August, and return at Spring. Bellonius says, that when they go away, that Stork that comes last to the Place of Rendezvous is kill’d upon the Spot. They go away in the Night to the Southern Countries.
Besides the common Stork which we have now described, there is a black one, which the Egyptians call Ibis; which is not a Bird of Passage, but continues always in the Country. We have spoke of it under the Name IBIS.
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