THROUGH WILD EUROPE 281 



nesting in most of the villages, as on the roofs of 

 the solitary fishing-huts in the most remote localities. 



Huge dragon-flies of gorgeous colours darted 

 hither and thither through the dense clouds of 

 mosquitoes, doing their best to keep down the 

 numbers of these tormentors. On wellnigh every 

 reed-stem the empty pupa-skins of dragon-flies clung 

 like pale ghosts, most weird-looking and curious to 

 behold. 



When at last we returned to Tulcea, after ten 

 days' sojourn in the wilderness, it had to be acknow- 

 ledged that the search for Pelecanus onocrotalus, for 

 this season at least, must be accounted a failure. 

 And it was too late in the year, July, to expect to 

 do any good with the other species nesting in the 

 Dobrudscha. We had seen young Swans and Wild 

 Geese, and Herons. Young Night Herons in the 

 brown spotted plumage were flying about with their 

 parents, and it was obviously useless to remain any 

 longer. 



