112 THE ARCTIC BLUE-THROAT. 



beautiful country seat, a miniature Versailles, we 

 reached the shores of the lake, for our last day's 

 collecting. It was a short but memorable ex- 

 perience, as we had to leave early in the afternoon to 

 drive for two hours to the nearest station to catch 

 the train for Vienna, homeward bound, via Prag, 

 Dresden, and Berlin. On the shores of the lake, 

 a large pavilion had been erected, in which was 

 prepared the last of the series of entertainments 

 which had been provided for us throughout the 

 ten days of the Congress. * 



The ornithologists divided into several parties ; 

 some to go in boats, some to collect on shore. 

 Choosing the latter course, I wandered about 

 with Dr. von Madardsz, and obtained many 

 species of interest to the British Museum and 

 myself. Crested Larks, Great Sedge- Warblers, 

 etc., until at last I wandered off into a moist 

 swamp, and stumbled about amongst the stumps 

 of a ' withy ' bed. The walking was anything 

 but comfortable, but far ahead of me, I could see 

 a little brown bird continually perching on the tops 

 of the stunted willows, and again disappearing on 

 to the ground below. Disregarding the summonses 

 to come back to the pavilion, I at last secured the 



