46 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 



the boat, which was concealed among the reeds, told us that, 

 shortly after we had left, the eagle had flown back laden with 

 food for the well-grown young for he declared that there 

 were at least two, though we had before only made out one ; 

 so I at once hastened to my ambush, determined to devote 

 another hour to this nest. 



The Moorhens and all the small birds were now still 

 livelier than in the noontide hours, and there was an inces- 

 sant flapping going on in the water around me. A Mallard 

 had her nest quite close to our hiding-place, and at first she 

 sat immovable, but afterwards got up and began to swim 

 about the reeds and hunt for insects, keeping all the while a 

 strict watch on her nest. Every Moorhen which dared to 

 come too near was vigorously chased away, and after each 

 short absence she came back to reinspect her dwelling. The 

 concert, too, in these woods during the latter part of the 

 afternoon was very remarkable the screams of the young 

 eagles, the cooings of the pigeons, the cawing of the crows, 

 the quacking of the ducks, the whistling of the Moorhens, 

 and the croaking of the frogs, all made up a Babel of sound 

 which, accompanied by the melodious notes of the Nightin- 

 gales and Blackcaps, the songs of the Finches, and the short 

 warbles of the Willow-Wrens, gave the wilderness a strange 

 and very enchanting character. 



The afternoon was drawing to a close, the sun sank towards 

 the west, the shadows grew longer and longer, but still the 

 eagle did not come ; so we had to leave the place, as time 

 was pressing, and we were a good long way from the steamer. 

 We therefore called up the " csikeln," and began our home- 

 ward route, and I felt proud at leaving this ground with two 

 Sea-Eagles in my boat a bag which falls to the lot of but 

 few sportsmen in the whole course of their shooting ex- 

 periences. 



A beautiful picture presented itself as the last rays of the 



