A VISIT TO A BREEDING-PLACE OF THE PELICAN. 259 
wanted to see the Pelican colony again in the golden light of the 
morning sun, to look for some of the finest eggs, to shoot a 
few young P. crispus, and then to bid farewell for ever to the place 
which had so long kept us in such a state of excitement. We 
set out accordingly. We only took eggs where a number of 
putrefying young birds were lying. The feathers on the foreheads 
of these left no doubt in our minds as to the species. At one 
shot we got three young P. crispus. The young P. onocrotalus 
(in downy plumage), too, was again there. This time we did not 
let him escape; a well-directed shot brought him down. Thus 
we again passed several hours in the colony. It may have been 
about 9 a.m. when we started on our return journey. We did not 
get to the Cormorants’ nests of last year, which are said to stand 
on the willow-shrubs ; our chasseur could not find the place again. 
Of Larus ridibundus, which bred about here, not a trace is to 
be seen. We must mention, however, the innumerable Sea 
Eagles which we saw here yesterday. For these birds, as well 
as for the Marsh Harriers, of which we saw numbers everywhere 
ahout, there seems to be plenty of food here. A few Purple 
Herons also appeared. Most plentiful of all was Anas nyroca ; 
broken or rather hatched eggs of this duck we found on all 
the Pelican islands. Of smaller birds we have only to mention 
Panurus barbatus and Aerocephalus turdoides, together with some 
other species of Acrocephalus. Thus we quitted this promising 
breeding-place, satisfied to have found and seen it at all, but 
less satisfied with our booty, which was hardly adequate. Eggs, 
of course, we might have carried away by thousands, but we were 
satisfied with a couple of hundred of them—how many of these 
we shall be able to blow is a question. We particularly wanted 
young birds in down and old birds, and these wants were not 
supplied. The return journey through the reeds was performed 
quickly, but it was by no means easy. Two hours later we 
reached the Girla Litkow and found the large boat again, 
untouched. With difficulty we forced our way through the dense 
chaos of aquatic plants, rowing with our united strength. The 
July sun burnt us dreadfully. As before, we rowed in the large 
boat and tied on one of the small ones behind. In the afternoon 
we got back to the fishing-hut. This in reality is the only place 
where one can get a firm footing; and although only a small 
island, it is at least firm. The old man received us with an 
