68 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 
slowly penetrated into the thickets by the now familiar way, 
often stopping to observe the Moorhens as they were 
swimming about. 
Frightened Wild Ducks were everywhere getting up 
in front of us, and we saw a pair of Wild Geese flying over 
the reeds at no great distance. Missel-Thrushes and Moor- 
hens fluttered about the bushy clumps of wood, a few 
Warblers were singing their sweetest songs among the trees, 
while Crows and Pigeons were sitting on the dead branches 
of the old oaks with their heads under their wings preparing 
for sleep. 
Some Marsh-Harriers too were cruising about in search of 
prey ; and Grey and Purple Herons were flying from the 
“auen” to the plains, high in the air. The shadows grew 
longer and longer, the last rays of the sun vanished behind 
the western woods, and the first stars shone out in the few 
patches of cloudless sky. 
We had intended to push on as far as the eagles’ nests, for 
I wished to show the two gentlemen where they were; but 
we turned back at the urgent entreaties of our boatmen, who 
had a well-grounded fear of missing, in the darkness, the very 
narrow and intricate passage through the reeds and bushes. 
While going quickly back by the same route I killed a Coot 
which swam confidingly round our boat, and slightly wounded 
a duck and a heron which rose in front of us, but unluckily 
too far off. 
Brehm was greatly interested in observing the various 
species of bats, and was much struck by one which was 
particularly small, but as night was falling it was unfortu- 
nately no longer possible to kill a specimen. 
We soon reached the broad arm of the Danube again, and 
were glad when we had got through the thick bushes all 
right, for this passage was still more disagreeable by night 
than by day. 
