56 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 
We began by walking a little way straight along the dry 
bank of the arm, and then, accompanied only by Hodek, I 
turned into the wood, and wading through some largish pools 
gained an opening, where I already saw from afar a huge 
eagle’s nest situated among the upper branches of a tall black 
poplar. ‘To the left of this tree was an open channel, mostly 
covered with sedge, and on its further side ran a long stretch 
of bush varied with high solitary trees. 
On some drier and more elevated patches of ground quite 
close to the nest were some lower trees, under one of which I 
hid myself while Hodek went below the nest to drive out the 
eagle should it chance to be sitting therein; but in vain he 
hammered at the stem, the bird was not at home; so we 
stayed quietly in our ambush, which, lying as it did among 
pools of water, only afforded us very damp and wretched 
accommodation. 
The wood in the immediate neighbourhood of the nest had, 
as one might say, narrowed to a thin strip, so that from our 
position we could easily see through it, and even get an open 
view as far as the bushes on the other side of the channel. 
This wood was not at all like that above described, being far 
less wild, and not so like a primeval forest. There was also 
plenty of life in it, for a number of songsters charmed us with 
‘their early morning carols; and again the lively Moorhens 
kept uttering their incessant cries-among the rushes of the 
channel, while ducks were flying to and fro and splashing 
noisily into the water close beside us. 
We had hardly been sitting a quarter of an hour under the 
nest, when the young eagles began to cry lustily for food, and 
were answered by both the old ones quite near our hiding- 
place. We next saw the shadows of the huge creatures gliding 
over the ground, but did not get a clear view of the birds 
themselves until they were above the low bushes of the oppo- 
site bank; and there we observed three eagles, evidently a 
