260 
H. SEEBOHM—NESTS AND EGGS OF BIKDS. 
The most interesting colony visited lies to the north-west of the 
Dobrudscha—a country of vast steppes one hundred or one hundred 
and fifty feet above the level of the Danube. On these steppes 
there are no trees, and nothing hut a line of telegraph posts and 
wires that stretches from one horizon to the other, to relieve the 
monotony of the prospect. We had camped out all night in our 
wagon, and had watched the breeding-habits of the bustard, the 
largest European bird. It is very curious that the larger the bird is, 
the more shy he is generally found to he ; but instead of hiding him¬ 
self in forests, the bustard chooses a perfectly hare plain over which 
he can see for several miles, and directly an intruder comes within 
range, he takes flight inland. On reaching the Danube, we met a 
man who offered to conduct us to a colony of herons. It was a some¬ 
what difficult undertaking ; we found that it was necessary to cross 
an arm of the Danube, then to make our way through a long lane 
of water, covered with beautiful white lilies, and next to force 
a passage through vast quantities of reeds and rushes, where black 
terns and various species of ducks breed in colonies. Occasionally 
we drifted along with the current under overhanging willows, and 
once or twice were compelled to drag our boat over the dry land; 
at last we reached an open pool or lake, on the further side of which 
was an enormous forest of pollard-willows. In the midst of this 
forest we came upon the herons; the colony had taken possession 
of about 400 trees, and each tree contained from 10 to 25 nests, 
which comprised five different species. The trunks of the willows 
were about six to eight feet high, and then broke out into a dense 
mass of small branches; on the centre stump, in the most 
conspicuous and strongest place, was generally to be found a huge 
nest of the common heron, containing perfectly fresh eggs; next 
came the night heron, somewhat similar in colour, hut about half 
the size; then the little egret, as white as snow ; next the squacco 
heron, also white hut with patches of buff and black upon the hack; 
and among other species was the cormorant. These five species 
were constantly found nesting on the same tree. As we approached 
the colony, some of the birds became alarmed, and it was wonderful 
to listen to the rush of wings as they got up and flew away. It 
was an intensely hot day, the thermometer standing at 90° or 95°, 
and consequent upon the droppings of such an enormous multitude 
of birds, the whole place reminded one of a fowl-house. It was 
literally all guano. As we disturbed clump after clump, the noise 
became more and more unearthly, for herons have no idea of music, 
and the whole scene was one I shall never forget. In thousands 
of miles of travelling, it was one of the most interesting sights that 
I have ever seen. 
But the subject is inexhaustible, and I must therefore bring it to 
a close with this description of the waders of the Danube. 
