Two Ornithologists on the Lower Danube - Being a Record of a Journey to the Dobrogea and the Danube Delta with a Systematic List of the Birds Observed

J. H. Mcneile, H. Kirke Swann

Description

First published in 1925, this volume contains an interesting account of an ornithological trip to the Danube Delta, the second largest river delta in Europe primarily situated in Romania and the Ukraine. It offers brief descriptions of the countries travelled through and their people, but focuses on what the two English men got up to and what they saw in the way of bird life. This interesting and entertaining chronicle will appeal to ornithologists and birdwatchers, as well as those with an interest in the people and places of early 20th century Europe and travel writing in general. Contents include: “Tulcea”, “The Balta”, “The Forest at Cocos”, “The Forest at Greci”, “The Forest at Ciucurova”, Expedition to the Delta”, “The Black Sea Coast”, “List of Birds Observed in the Dobrogea and Danube Delta”, etc. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new introduction.

Sujets

• Danube Delta

Informations

• Publié par: Read Books Ltd.
• Date de parution: 17 septembre 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781528766456
• Langue: English

Extrait

TWO ORNITHOLOGISTS ON THE LOWER DANUBE
Copyright 2017 Read Books Ltd.
This book is copyright and may not be reproduced or copied in any way without the express permission of the publisher in writing
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Etymologically, the word ornithology derives from the ancient Greek ornis (bird) and logos (rationale or explanation). The science of ornithology has a long history and studies on birds have helped develop several key concepts in evolution, behaviour and ecology such as the definition of species, the process of speciation, instinct, learning, ecological niches and conservation. Whilst early ornithology was principally concerned with descriptions and distributions of species, ornithologists today seek answers to very specific questions, often using birds as models to test hypotheses or predictions based on theories. However, most modern biological theories apply across taxonomic groups, and consequently, the number of professional scientists who identify themselves as ornithologists has declined. That this specific science has become part of the biological mainstream though, is in itself a testament to the field s importance.
Humans observed birds from the earliest times, and Stone Age drawings are among the oldest indications of an interest in birds, primarily due to their importance as a food source. One of the first key texts on ornithology was Aristotle s Historia Animalium (350 BC), in which he noted the habit of bird migration, moulting, egg laying and life span. He also propagated several, unfortunately false myths, such as the idea that swallows hibernated in winter. This idea became so well established, that even as late as 1878, Elliott Coues (an American surgeon, historian and ornithologist) could list as many as 182 contemporary publications dealing with the hibernation of swallows. In the Seventeenth century, Francis Willughby (1635-1672) and John Ray (1627-1705) came up with the first major system of bird classification that was based on function and morphology rather than on form or behaviour, this was a major breakthrough in terms of scientific thought, and Willughby s Ornithologiae libri tres (1676), completed by John Ray is often thought to mark the beginning of methodical ornithology. It was not until the Victorian era though, with the emergence of the gun and the concept of natural history, that ornithology emerged as a specialized science. This specialization led to the formation in Britain of the British Ornithologists Union in 1858, and the following year, its journal The Ibis was founded.
This sudden spurt in ornithology was also due in part to colonialism. The bird collectors of the Victorian era observed the variations in bird forms and habits across geographic regions, noting local specialization and variation in widespread species. The collections of museums and private collectors grew with contributions from various parts of the world. This spread of the science meant that many amateurs became interested in bird watching - with real possibilities to contribute knowledge. As early as 1916, Julian Huxley wrote a two part article in the Auk , noting the tensions between amateurs and professionals and suggesting that the vast army of bird-lovers and bird-watchers could begin providing the data scientists needed to address the fundamental problems of biology. Organizations were started in many countries and these grew rapidly in membership, most notable among them being the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), founded in 1889 in Britain and the Audubon Society, founded in 1885 in the US.
Today, the science of ornithology is thriving, with many practical and economic applications such as the management of birds in food production (grainivorous birds, such as the Red billed Quelea are a major agricultural pest in parts of Africa), and the study of birds, as carriers of human diseases, such as Japanese Encephalitis, West Nile Virus, and H5N1. Of course, many species of birds have been driven to (or near) extinction by human activities, and hence ornithology has played an important part in conservation, utilising many location specific approaches. Critically endangered species such as the California Condor have been captured and bred in captivity, and it is hoped that many more birds can be saved in a like manner.
N EST OF THE B LACK V ULTURE
TWO ORNITHOLOGISTS ON THE LOWER DANUBE
BEING A RECORD OF A JOURNEY TO THE DOBROGEA AND THE DANUBE DELTA WITH A SYSTEMATIC LIST OF THE BIRDS OBSERVED
BY
H. KIRKE SWANN, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.
(Corresponding Fellow American Orn. Union)

ILLUSTRATED FROM PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY
J. H. McNEILE, M.B.O.U.
FOREWORD

IN the following pages I have given a brief account of a journey to an interesting and, to English people, little known country. I have described exactly and impartially the country and the people as they presented themselves to us, confining my remarks to what we did in Rumania, without entering upon the history and description of the country or the people. If I have dwelt unduly upon the difficulties and formalities experienced upon entering Rumania, it must be accounted to the natural impatience of the Englishman on first encountering the ways of the Orient. The formalities were as nothing when weighed against the charming courtesy of every Rumanian Minister and official we met. Nor were the people themselves far behind the government in courtesy and willingness to help. To our quick northern mentalities their delays were often exasperating, but, as Rettig, good patient man, so charmingly reminded us upon every occasion, Here we are in the East, and that had to serve as an excuse for every delay, and in fact went far to reconcile us with the ways of these people, so remote from us and so ignorant of our fancied importance as a nation that a humble police officer in Bucarest wished to put me down as a Swiss, because, he said, London was in Switzerland!
H. KIRKE SWANN
A UTHORS C LUB
L ONDON
July 16 th , 1925
CONTENTS

Chap.
I. T ULCEA
II. T HE BALTA
III. T HE F OREST AT C OCO
IV. T HE FOREST AT G RE I
V. T HE F OREST AT C IUCUROVA
VI. E XPEDITION TO THE D ELTA
VII. T HE B LACK S EA C OAST
L IST OF B IRDS OBSERVED IN THE D OBROGEA AND THE D ANUBE D ELTA
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

I. N EST OF THE B LACK V ULTURE
II. R USSIAN BALTA F ISHERMAN
III. N EST OF THE I MPERIAL E AGLE
IV. R UMANIAN F ORESTERS
V. R ETTIG S KINNING THE B UZZARD
VI. V ILLAGE OF A C -P UNAR
VII. T HE M AIRIE , A C -P UNAR
VIII. S TARTING FOR THE F OREST
IX. N EST OF THE G OSHAWK
X. T HE Y OUNG H UNTER AND HIS P ARENTS
XI. S TARTING FOR THE BALTA
XII. N EST OF P ENDULINE T ITMOUSE
XIII. N EST OF P IGMY C ORMORANT
XIV. F AMILY AT C ALICA
XV. S HEEP-FARMER OF R AZIM L AKE
TWO ORNITHOLOGISTS ON THE LOWER DANUBE
CHAPTER I
R UMANIA of to-day is only three days journey from London, travelling by the Orient Express, yet it is one of the most difficult countries to travel or collect in that a naturalist may choose to visit. I doubt whether Tibet could present more obstacles than Rumania in this respect.
A letter of introduction and a laissez-passer , courteously given by M. Nicolas Titulescu, the Rumanian Minister in London, seemed to promise an absence of obstacles to the collecting trip planned for April and May of the present year with my friend, J. H. McNeile. Yet these papers only facilitated our entry into the country, and once in Bucarest our troubles began.
We arrived in Bucarest on Sunday, April 12th, with the anticipation of proceeding to the Danube the next morning, but a chance meeting with the English Chaplain, the Rev. Mr. Stewart, resulted in our learning that travelling, collecting, photography, shooting or carrying firearms were all forbidden both in the Dobrogea and the Danube Delta, while it was not even possible to move freely from one village to another. Everything is ruled by laws, regulations, permits, police and gendarmerie inquisitions and what not, while no one in the country understands anything of the English language and very few any French or German.
However, we soon got to work at the obstacles. The British Minister at Bucarest, Sir Herbert Dering, kindly introduced us to the Prefect of the city, General X., a fire-eater of the best sort. He got down to our needs in quicktime, bundled us out into his own car and forwarded us to his friend the Minister of the Interior, a most courteous statesman, who gave us an order to all authorities concerned enabling us to travel in the Dobrogea for the purpose of collecting.
Then came the next obstacle-we still had to get permission to collect! The Director of the Museum in Bucarest, Dr. Antipa, to whom we had a letter, was in Paris, so we enlisted the help of the British Vice-Consul, Captain Gorst, who in a most friendly way did his best to help us. For two days we went from one ministry or official to another, and at length arrived in the august presence of the Minister of Agriculture and Domains, a powerful statesman with an antechamber full of applicants which was reminiscent of old-world days. He also had a guard at his right hand to deal with any unwelcome applicants who might gain admission. The Minister heard our request, examined our papers, and asked us to call again the next day as the Director-General of the Chase was not there that day.
We emerged into the street again and looked at one another helplessly. Then we hailed one of the