419 
Egg-collecting in Asia Minor. 
reed-bed, building an enormous nest, which would support 
the weight of two men. 
On the following day, May 14th, we paid a visit to the lake, 
making an early start in the cool of the morning, although 
we had been up till past midnight blowing eggs. On our 
way to the lake we followed the course of a small muddy- 
looking river—an outlet, I think, to the sea. Along the 
banks of this stream grew numerous wild tamarisk-bushes, 
and in these we found several Penduline Tits* nests. They 
were all suspended at the ends of branches overhanging the 
water, and could have been reached more easily from a boat 
than from the banks. Some of these nests contained eggs 
and the others appeared to be just ready for eggs; all the 
eggs we examined being pure white, and very much elongated. 
On reaching the lake-shore, we embarked in a good-sized 
boat, manned by four oarsmen, and, after three hours' 
hard row, reached two small rocky islands. Here stood the 
ruins of old Genoese forts, which had been captured and 
destroyed by the Turks in bygone times. As we approached 
the islands we saw numerous Puddv Sheld-ducks (Casarca 
rutila ) sitting perched on the ruined walls. There must have 
been quite a dozen pairs of these birds, and as we drew near 
them they flew round us continually, uttering loud discordant 
cries. These Ruddy Sheld-ducks nest in holes among the 
rocks at the foot of the walls, but, though we found four of 
their nests, we did not get so much as an addled egg, the 
young birds having all been safely hatched out. Where 
these young broods were was a mystery, as we saw none of 
them on the open water round the islands. I found a Rock- 
Dove's nest, with fresh eggs, in a hole in one of the massive 
walls, also numbers of Jackdaws' nests, some with eggs, and 
some with young birds. On a long spit of sand running out 
from one of the islands I noticed a Lesser Ringed Plover, 
and by the exercise of a little patience found the nest, with 
four eggs, which were very slightly incubated. We got 
back to the inn at 5 p.m. While being rowed backward 
and forward over the lake we saw a great many Crested 
Grebes, which doubtless nest in the marsh, and come to tne 
