lÖO J- SCHENK 



propagate in whole security; an alliance, with such a power, that all the 

 efforts of those, who would like to convert these unparalelled territories 

 into cornfields, would be prevented in doing so, for ever. Now everything 

 is changed; we lost amongst many others, three of the colonies above- 

 mentioned. The two first ones beeing assïgnated to Jugoslavia, the third 

 to Austria. Our only remaining colony is that of the marsh Kisbalaton, 

 where according to different communications in the year 1921, still 5 — 15 

 pairs of the Great White Egret were breeding. More-over our daily life 

 has become wery difficult and we have many cares in connection with 

 our Institute we haver't got any more the material strength, to realize 

 our intentions concerning the protection of our birds, though if we are 

 not able to do all we can to assure the security of this colony, we 

 will loose as a nestingbird, one of the most characteristic species of 

 the Hungarian avifauna. 



The sympathy and interest of the Dutchman has helped us in this 

 grave situation. The dutch society residing at Amsterdam: „Nederlandsche 

 Vereeniging tot Bescherming van Vogels", has organized a collection to 

 the benefit of the protection of our Great White Egret, with a beginning 

 of 25 florins (holland) from the part of the society itself and which has 

 reached till now a sum of 270 florins (holland) which means 68.936 

 crowns in our money. 



We have the pleasure to express our deepest gratitude in the name 

 of Hungary, for this generous gift to the Dutch Nation. 



More-over this noble example has not remained without consequen- 

 ces. The press mentioned this gift and Mr. Colman Warga, one of our 

 observers and colaborators directed a call to the public, with the inten- 

 tion to draw it's attention and induce it to follow the Dutch example, 

 which call has been published by different newspapers and revues and 

 had a very satisfying result. Even the Governour of Hungary Mr. Nicholas 

 de Horthy was very much interested in that question and placed imme- 

 diately a sum of 1.000 crowns for this purpose to our disposition. The 

 sum collected by the newspapers and private persons has reached till 

 now an amount of 14.130 crowns. 



To effectuate the practical protection of the Egrets, we have decided 

 to guard the colony this spring and we will fix remunerations for those 

 persons, who will denounce every case of poaching, capturing of Egrets, 

 plundering of nests, robbing of nestlings; in this wise helping the law, which 

 prohibits every persecution of the Egret. If the sum at our disposal permits 

 it, we want to extend this action also over the other colonies of every 

 interesting species of aquatic birds like: Himantopus, Recurvirostra etc. 



The greatest peril endangering this last colony of Egrets is however 

 the planed drying of the marsh „Kisbalaton", of which we were 



