14 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 
that we were on Count Zichy’s ground and on the island 
of Adony. Count Johann Zichy, with two other keepers, 
followed him a few minutes later. The Count had but just 
heard of our arrival, and had hastened to receive us in 
the very kindest manner, and to show us round the island 
himself. 
We stole about the heronry in all directions, our shots rang 
merrily through the wood, and were duly responded to by 
the renewed screams of its terrified inhabitants. 
At first it was easy work, for the birds hardly understood 
what was going on, but when some had been already killed 
the others got shyer and shyer, and were very cautious in 
coming back to the trees from their aerial heights, so, after 
shooting some Grey ones, I turned my whole attention to the 
Night-Herons. 
I had never come across this bird before, and according to 
my pre-conceived ideas would never have looked for it among 
the lofty “au” woods, for I had imagined that low willows 
standing among pools of water, thick reeds, and high sedge 
would be its true breeding-places. I was therefore much 
astonished at seeing the Night-Herons perched on the tallest 
8 
silver poplars, evidently still busy building their nests. 
Whenever I tried to get near them, both pairs of birds were 
always on the same trees, and when frightened off invariably 
made short circuits round the same places ; but when I dis- 
covered these spots, which were some distance from the bank, 
the whole colony was in such commotion that it was 
impossible to exactly determine which of the many nests 
belonged to the Night-Herons, 
After having been separated for about an hour, which 
time we had all spent in diligent search, we chanced ito find 
ourselves on a footpath which ran through the entire length 
of the island. Here I first met Leopold, who was making 
vain attempts to shoot down a dead heron that was hanging 
