190 Messrs. C. G. Danford and J. A. Harvie Brown 



on 



causing a great deal of labour and inconvenience to the in- 

 habitants. 



We collected birds in the Mczoseg district from the 1st to 

 the 20th of May ; and during that time 107 species came under 

 our observation*. Owing to the exceptionably severe Aveather 

 in spring of the present year (1874), the breeding of the aquatic 

 birds was considerably retarded. As a proof of this, we found 

 very few nests of water-fowl during our stay there, even a 

 month after the time assigned by the natives as their usual 

 breeding-season. The reedy lakes near Zah arc the favourite 

 resorts of innumerable water-fowl, whether of the resident 

 species or of those passing on their migrations. There we 

 found a colony of Night- Herons, whilst the Purple Heron, 

 Common Heron, and Little Bittern were also common. From 

 amongst the great reed-beds the Thrush-like Warbler sent 

 forth his harsh grating note ; and the rarer and more unob- 

 trusive River- Warbler was found in small numbers. The 

 Bearded Tit, on warm sunny days, might be seen frequenting 

 the edges of the reed-beds ; and three specimens of the Pen- 

 duline Tit were on one occasion observed by our assistant and 

 fellow-traveller, Herr Klir. Marsh and Swainson^s Plarriers 

 had their nests among the reeds ; Coots and Moorhens swam 

 in numbers on the surface of the water ; and Black and White- 

 winged Terns, and a few specimens of the Little Gull hovered 

 over the water, or settled to rest on the floating roots and 

 matted stems of the water-plants. A small flock of the White- 

 headed Duck, together with other species of that family, 

 floated lightly and lazily on the water under the warm sun ; 

 and Grebes of at least three species dived along the margins 



* Herr Hermann Otto, former ciu'ator of the Klauseuburg Museum, 

 enumerates 173 species as occuri'ing to his knowledge in the Mezos^g : 

 vide list of works at the end of this introductory portion of oiu- paper. 

 Graf Lazar, writing of the waterbirds of Transylvania, says that there 

 used to be many more swimmers and waders in Transylvania, and that 

 their numbers are yearly decreasing — giving as reasons the diminished 

 rainfall in consequence of devastation of forests, and the interference with 

 tlieir breeding-grounds on the Theiss by certain sj'stems for the regulation 

 of the water which have been adopted on that river. 



