150 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 
had ever had the opportunity of observing in the open the 
flight of this bird, which unites the quiet, almost imper- 
ceptible wing-motion of the largest diurnal birds of prey 
with the easy swift gliding movements of the owls, while 
there is in its whole appearance something grand and striking 
which makes it undeniably an eagle among the owls. 
As we were hurrying back to the steamer through the 
thickets we saw a whole flock of Jackdaws, which, scared by 
the noise we were making, had come out of holes in the bank 
of the Danube, where they were breeding in close proximity 
to the predatory Hagle-Owls. I also found among the bushes 
a snake of quite exceptional size ; indeed I have never seen 
so large a reptile in a wild state. It quickly coiled itself 
round a tree and tried to hide among the grass; but though 
Brehm had asked us to bring back reptiles from our excur- 
sions, I would not allow this creature to be taken up and 
‘brought on board, as it might have been venomous. 
Close to the bank of the river a Cuckoo fluttered up into 
a fruit-tree, calling loudly, and I shot it for the sake of the 
measurements. . 
As soon as we were on board, the steamer again got 
under weigh, and in another quarter of an hour we rounded 
an island near the left side of the Danube where the stream 
was fringed by a continuous belt of beautiful thick .“auen.” 
We anchored near the middle of this island, which was not 
very large, and being but thinly studded with enormous old 
willows and a few silver poplars, and not having the slightest 
trace of undergrowth, was the very type of a wooded pasture, 
a peculiar style of country quite new to us. 
On an old willow stood a huge Sea-Eagle’s nest not far 
from the ground, and the keepers were almost sure that we 
should shoot the eagle ; but when my brother-in-law and I 
were getting near the nest we met numbers of the inhabitants 
of the neighbouring village hurrying up in carts, which they 
