WILD LIFE ACROSS THE WORLD 



wide, covered with tall, graceful reeds and dead trees. 

 I was greatly interested in noticing that some of these 

 trees stood right out in the lake. I suppose this little 

 island must have been bigger some time ago and was 

 now disappearing, the trees perhaps being killed by 

 the foreign matter in the water. 



These dead trees formed the nesting-place of 

 innumerable cormorants, in addition to some sacred 

 ibis, whilst on the shore and among the reeds hundreds 

 of nests were scattered about so thickly that it was 

 almost impossible to avoid trampling on them, a fact 

 which caused us to give the spot the name of " Bird 

 Island." 



Amongst the others were several nests of the 

 Egyptian goose, nearly all with eggs in them, and we 

 helped ourselves to a couple of dozen or so, selecting 

 nests which had about four eggs only in them, taking 

 two and leaving two. From the fact that some nests 

 had from twelve to eighteen eggs or young ones in 

 them, we argued that the birds indulged in large 

 clutches, and that therefore the eggs in those containing 

 only four or five would be fresh. 



When we went aboard again we found the wind was 

 rapidly failing us, and before we had got half-way 

 it fell to a dead calm, so that it became a question of 

 rowing the rest of the distance. 



It was a glorious evening, and the Aberdare 

 Mountains stood out clear and sharp, one point looking 



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