74 BIRD-HUNTING 



beaks projecting in front. They were unmistakably 

 Pelicans, the first I had ever seen in a wild state. 

 It seemed a good omen for this first day of actual 

 search, and my hopes began to rise. Seeing birds, 

 however, is one thing, and photographing them is 

 something very different. I knew this well enough 

 before from many a bitter experience, and the 

 present case was to prove no exception to the 

 rule. 



' On arrival at a small village mostly inhabited 

 by Albanians we had something to eat, while 

 a boat was got ready with three men, as the 

 current is of exceptional strength. Two of these 

 men were armed with magazine rifles, for we 

 were now on the frontier, where there is a con- 

 stant state of hostility, and bloodshed is a com- 

 mon occurrence. The revolver is a part of the 

 national costume in Montenegro, and is always 

 worn even in the towns, but along the frontier the 

 rifle is also almost universally carried. These are 

 Mausers provided by Russia, and every able-bodied 

 Montenegrin has one, and is expected to turn out 

 in case of need. They are but a small and poor 

 nation, but are always under arms. I was told that 

 even the unmarried girls over a certain age have 

 rifles served out to them, and are trained in their 

 use. 



At the mouth of the river we saw several Pelicans 



