THROUGH WILD EUROPE 309 



Then I called up the boats, and we proceeded to 

 take some eggs. The nests of Pygmy Cormorants all 

 contained young birds except one, which held a clutch 

 of much-addled eggs. They were white and chalky, 

 and very elongated in shape. The young birds were 

 the most hideous little wretches I have ever seen, 

 quite naked, with curious pink pouches on each side 

 of their beaks. The Squaccos' and Night Herons' 

 eggs were much incubated, and a number of the 

 nests contained young birds. I had in a short time 

 a pile of eggs in the fore-peak of my boat, which 

 took me days to blow, so that it was not very sur- 

 prising that a good many were broken, especially 

 as some of them held quite well-formed and feathered 

 young. 



Near this colony we saw six Pelicans flying over- 

 head. These were probably Pelecanus onocrotalus, 

 and were the only Pelicans seen on the trip. The 

 two Russian fishermen we had engaged had held 

 out very small hopes of our finding a colony of 

 these birds on account of the great depth of water 

 everywhere, which had submerged their usual 

 haunts. 



At the approach of evening we had to think of a 

 suitable place for sleeping, and finally settled on a 

 small island on which grew several willows. The 

 canoes were drawn up on the bank, and a fire of 

 wood lighted on which our pot was soon in full 



