SECOND DAY. 11 



During the first half-hour we had not paid much attention 

 to the scenery ; for hardly had we left Pest behind us when 

 we had to satisfy our hungry stomachs, which had been quite 

 out of employment since we left Vienna. But having fortified 

 ourselves with a good breakfast, and lighted our first cigars, 

 we began a careful observance of all the birds which showed 

 themselves along the banks. At first they seemed very 

 scarce, and it was not until we got among the " auen " that 

 we saw the Grey Herons and Cormorants flying from their 

 breeding-places for their morning fishing ; while Magpies 

 were fluttering about the trees by the river-side, Jackdaws 

 flying cawing over the vessel, and on a dead tree near the 

 left bank was sitting a pensive Roller with the sun shining on 

 its splendid plumage. In front of the steamer I suddenly 

 noticed three beautifully coloured ducks, which unfortunately 

 would not allow us to come within a fair range, but rose 

 shyly and cautiously, like all the ducks, and ignored with 

 dignified calm the couple of shots fired at them. They had 

 now to be entered in the note-books, but no one was quite 

 sure to which of the many species of duck they belonged. 

 However, we put them down as Shovellers ; and this, I 

 believe, they really were. 



Yesterday when in Vienna I remembered that, some years 

 ago, Count Johann Zichy had kindly invited me to visit his 

 celebrated heron-island, Adony ; and as this seemed just 

 the time to avail ourselves of his courtesy, and to make 

 use of this spot for a brief shooting interlude in our journey, 

 I asked permission to carry out our designs. I had long 

 known the island by name, and had always heard of the 

 great numbers of herons breeding on it, so was firmly con- 

 vinced that we should find it rich in species ; but in this last 

 matter we were somewhat disappointed. 



After a run of nearly three hours we came to a large 

 island, thickly wooded with tall silver poplars. None of us 



