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. 



