148 BIRD-HUNTING 



never experienced a single fine day on it. There 

 was always a thunderstorm raging on one or other 

 of the mountain peaks. While the rest were lit up 

 by a brilliant sun, round one particular peak the 

 storm-clouds would gather, and the lightning would 

 flash and the thunder roll and mutter, while the wind 

 would rise and cause a regular little cyclone. 



Many White Herons were seen fishing about the 

 shallows, and once, passing one of the submerged 

 forests of willows which are so commonly seen in 

 these parts, I saw a nesting colony of Herons through 

 the glass at a distance of perhaps half a mile. I was 

 almost sure that they were the Great White Herons, 

 a nesting colony of which I was so anxious to find, and 

 I made a mental note of the place with the intention 

 of returning to pay it a visit at the first opportunity. 



On arriving at Plavnica we arranged to sleep at a 

 rough-looking wine-shop, or han, and while our things 

 were being carried in I set Djouraschkovitch to work 

 questioning his countrymen about the White Herons. 



' Oh yes,' they said, ' there were any number of 

 them, and they were nesting in great abundance.' 

 One man declared that he knew a big tree quite 

 close with at least fifty nests on it. He was engaged 

 at once to conduct me to the place, while Djourasch- 

 kovitch made things straight and arranged about 

 our supper. 



Off I started with this man, with great hopes of 



