^ P)y the Xjiri Lakes 



marshes anc] its })(:arinL( is ve-ry curious and intcre-stinn/ 

 when it knows them or its nest to Ijtt in danLTf^r. 



With ]i\('ly, constantly rei^-ated cri(^s it flirts hii^h above 

 our heads hither and thither, drops d(nvn to th(' water, 

 stoops its head down on to the surface, and in that position 

 goes from one cluster of weeds to another, and then 

 as far out into the open as th(; depth of wat(-r permits. 

 Thus it infillibly betrays the jxjsition of its youn^^. V^ery 

 interesting it is then to se.t^ these swilt-winc/ed black-and- 

 white birds, full of anxiet}- for their ofTsprinL,^ flit from the 

 sand to the cloudless sky or on to the dirtv-,c^rey water, 

 made muddy by the flocks of living things. The.- way 

 in, which their long legs hang down adds to th(t f]uaint- 

 ness of their appearance. Xow the sharp tones of the 

 avocet, have produced comnKJtion in the entire world 

 of birds and a beautiful spur-winged lapwing (//c^//(9/'/e^?7/i' 

 specio<.us) decides t(j make (jff 



What a wealth of dazzling light, of' majf-stic isolation, 

 of boundless distance and endless '"pace ! 



X umbers of ycjung axocets not set able to fly w(:; now 

 see running along inland to save themselves, almost hiding 

 thcjir black-and-white feathers as they scamper ovc-r the 

 grrjund with outstretched n('cks and beaks ! How white 

 th(; land here under its coating of salt, as though covered 

 by newly fallen snow I Where the broad gleaming ponds 

 merge in the deeper waters (jf the permanent marshes, 

 anrl clusters r^f reeds stand up at first sparsely, but 

 gradually becom(j denser and denser, we see every inch 

 of water covered by birds. Among the reeds the notes 

 of small warblers and the curious little marsh-hens 



lOI 



