Egg-coUectin(/ in Asia Minor. 419 



reed-bcd, building an enormous nest, vvbicli would support 

 the weigbt of two naen. 



On the following day, ^lay 14th, we paid a visit to the lake, 

 making an early start in the cool of the morning, although 

 we had been up till past midnight blowing eggs. On our 

 way to the lake w^e followed the course of a small muddy- 

 looking river — an outlet, I think, to the sea. Along the 

 banks of this stream grew numerous wild tamarisk-bushes, 

 and in these we found several Penduline Tits' nests. They 

 were all suspended at the ends of branches overhanging the 

 water, and could have been reached more easily from a boat 

 than from the banks. Some of these nests contained eogcs, 

 and the others appeared to be just rrady for eggs; all the 

 eggs we examined being pure white, and very much elongated. 

 On reaching the lake-shore, we embarked in a good-sized 

 boat, manned by four oarsmen, and, after three hours" 

 hard row, reached two small rocky islands. Here stood the 

 ruins of old Genoese forts, which had been captured and 

 destroyed by the Turks in bygone times. As we approached 

 the islands we saw numerous Ruddy Sheld-ducks {Casarca 

 rutila) sitting perched on the ruined walls. There must have 

 been quite a dozen pairs of these birds, and as we drew near 

 them they flew round us continually, uttering loud discordant 

 cries. These Ruddy Sheld-ducks nest in holes among the 

 rocks at the foot of the Avails, but, though we found four of 

 their nests, we did not get so much as an addled e^^, the 

 young birds having all been safely hatched out. Where 

 these young broods were w^as a mystery, as we saw none of 

 them on the open water round the islands. I found a Rock- 

 Dove's nest, with fresh eggs, in a hole in one of the massive 

 walls, also numbers of Jackdaws' nests, some with eggs, and 

 some with young birds. On a long spit of sand running out 

 from one of the islands I noticed a Lesser Ringed Plover, 

 and by the exercise of a little patience found the nest, with 

 four eggs, which were very slightly incubated. We got 

 back to the inn at 5 p.m. While being rowed backward 

 and forward over the lake we saw a great many Crested 

 Grebes, which doubtless nest in the marsh, and come to tne 



