246 THE ZOOLOGIS'. 
Possibly we may find a colony of these birds. An old Cormorant 
(C. cormoranus) and a half-fledged young one in an interesting 
state of plumage were also procured. 
July 9. We were at work at daybreak; heat intense, 
swarms of flies. Unfortunately only one of the Swans in down 
could be prepared; of the others we only took off the skin of the 
breast, as we did also off the old one, which had no quill-feathers 
left. The Cormorant made a good specimen. We hardly spared 
time for eating. It is remarkable that young Pelicans on leaving 
the egg are quite naked; we shall put some of them into spirit. 
Every evening now the Balta cockchaffers (Melolontha fullo) appear 
in immense numbers and fill the air with their humming. 
July 10. Fine weather, but hot. Skinned and prepared the 
Pelicans. Nasty work; everything smells badly, and will not 
keep the feathers. We are very badly off for material for stuffing ; 
we had taken with us a large bag of sea-weed (Zostera nana) from 
Tschukarova, but this was used up long ago. There is no soft 
hay to be had here, nor any straw ; thus we had to look out for 
reed-tops. After many fruitless searches, we at length found 
some in the roof of a newly-built house, which were at once taken 
into requisition. We shall not be able to visit the breeding-places 
to-morrow; nobody will take us there, for everyone is occupied 
with the harvest; nor have we yet found time to prepare the 
skeletons we wished. ‘Two boys brought us three young Falco 
rufipes in down; they were of medium size. The two we got on 
the 6th are getting on very well and afford us much amusement ; 
their food consists of meat only. A thunder-storm in the 
evening. 
July 11. Fine weather. Finished our work; the three little 
Falcons got yesterday are also prepared. We have not made 
any skeletons, however, the specimens being too much damaged 
by the shot. To-day again we looked in vain for guides for 
to-morrow, and have now resolved to row alone in a larger 
boat as far as the fishing-hut, and to try and find somebody 
there who will take us on; perhaps the fishermen will consent 
afterwards to come with us. In the afternoon we had many 
visitors, Turks and Russians, who were anxious to see our 
collections. 
July 12. In the forenoon we visited Fetka and Demian, 
and asked them for their large boat to row to the fishing- 
