172 MR. J. YOUNG ON HERONRY ON THE DANUBE. 
nests in the trees, but destitute of birds : these were the nests of 
the Common Cormorant ( P. carhoj of the previous year ; they are 
said to choose a fresh site every season. A profound quiet 
prevailed, broken only by the splashing of the oars or the 
exclamations of the boatmen. Occasionally we caught sight of 
a Cormorant or Heron wheeling overhead, but there was nothing 
to give us the slightest idea that we Avere close to a colony of 
at least a thousand birds. A few minutes later we hear voices of 
birds getting louder and louder, till they become a perfect 
babel of cries and screams. Kow Ave are in the middle of 
them. What an extraordinary sight presented itself to our 
delighted eyes. Trees crammed Avith nests from the Avaters’ edge 
to the top, clouds of screeching birds Avheeling overhead, and 
then — the stench ! 
We Avere soon scrambling in the bushes, passing the eggs to the 
boat in our hats, taking notes, etc. The Avater being from six to 
eight feet deep, Ave could not use our Avading trousers. MeanAvhile 
I counted tAventy nests in one tree, nor Avas that uncommon. 
They consisted of the following species; viz.. Common Heron 
(A.cmerc6f),Squacco {A. Lesser White Egret {A. garzdta), 
Night Heron {N. griseus), Pigmy Cormorant {P. pigmeus). Some 
fcAV of the Night Herons had just hatched, but most of the eggs 
Avere fresh. We took three clutches of the Common Heron Avhich 
Avere quite fresh. This is curious considering the date (June 12th), 
as I have seen young Herons in England on 23rd February but 
on the other hand, I took a clutch of four fresh eggs in Scotland on 
the 2nd June, 1885, though there most of the nests contained fully 
fledged young ones. We took a good supply of eggs of all five 
species, at least I believe so ; for I am convinced that the eggs of 
the three smaller species cannot be positively separated, unless 
properly identified. In the present instance I regret to say that, 
OAving to the impatience of one of the party, the identification 
Avas far from satisfactory. After shooting one or tAvo Pigmy 
Cormorants Ave left the noisy colony, and came to an anchor in an 
open spot Avhere Ave could get both air and shade Avhilst aa'c ate 
our lunch. A colony of Common Cormorants Avas reported to be 
breeding Avithin half an hour’s row, but being beguiled to go in 
search of Purple Ibises Ave did not visit it. 
* ‘ Zoologist,’ 1881-, p. 101. 
