254 BIRD-HUNTING 



some more eggs of Ardea alba, the Great White 

 Heron, which I had found breeding last year, but 

 too late to get more than one clutch of eggs on the 

 point of hatching. This time I had resolved to 

 try another locality, not so remote and inaccessible, 

 where I fully expected to find them. 



But though this place was nearer, it was not so 

 easy to reach as I anticipated, owing to the exceed- 

 ingly strong current which fills the rivers from the 

 snow melting on the mountain heights. Marco had 

 borrowed a rude affair, which I suppose called itself 

 a boat. It was a dinghy from one of the small 

 coasters, and was, as usual, miserably equipped with 

 one crooked oar and a broken paddle, one of which 

 he wielded while I used the other. Only after 

 great exertions were we able to force our tubby 

 craft against the stream. Sometimes we hung at a 

 ticklish corner, quite unable to stem the current, 

 and if we relaxed our frantic exertions we were 

 swept down for many yards. After about two 

 hours of extremely hard work we finally reached the 

 spot, and were delighted to find Great White Herons 

 among the thick reeds. But at this date we could 

 find no nests. Still, it was most satisfactory to find 

 them on our first day's search, evidently thinking of 

 nesting if they had not already actually begun to do 

 so. The water was very deep, and we had to 

 support each other as we struggled through the reeds. 



