THROUGH WILD EUROPE 313 



willow, which grow along the Danube ; but the com- 

 monest raptorial bird everywhere is undoubtedly the 

 Marsh Harrier, which simply swarms. The Bittern 

 also must be very abundant, judging from the boom- 

 ing, but we never saw one. In our devious wander- 

 ings in and out of these endless reeds and sedges it 

 is a wonder we never came on a nest ; but though I 

 always kept a sharp look-out, we never found 

 one. Grebes abounded, the Great Crested, Red- 

 necked and Black-necked Grebes appearing more 

 common than the Little Grebe. They are much 

 sought after by the fishermen, who kill them whole- 

 sale in spite of the protection nominally accorded 

 them, with very little risk of discovery in these 

 solitudes, where it is possible to travel all day 

 without seeing a human being. One day we passed 

 a Grebe-hunter, who told our men that he had 

 thirty odd Grebe skins on board. The skin of the 

 breast is roughly stripped off and stretched on a 

 reed framework. It is then rubbed with salt and 

 dried in the sun. The restaurant keepers in the 

 towns and fishing-villages are all Jews, who buy up 

 all the Grebe skins and Herons' plumes they can 

 get for the plume trade, and also skins of otter, fox, 

 wolf, and martin. We shot the same day a pair 

 of Red-necked Grebes, the male being spoilt for 

 museum purposes, but I made a fine skin of the 

 female. 



