204 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 
we passed by a Kite’s nest I brought down the bird as it flew 
over our heads. Our path now led us close to the Peregrine’s 
nest, and we sent Hodek’s climber up the not very high oak 
to take it, the pair of falcons meanwhile flying about, scream- 
ing loudly, but unfortunately always keeping so far away that 
I could not get a certain shot. 
In a few moments the four young ones were in our hands; 
they were very small, and still covered with the first woolly 
down, so we packed them up in a bag as best we could, and 
then continued our walk through the thick oak woods, which 
smelt very sweet after the warm spring rain. 
The sun had already set, and heavy storm-clouds were once 
more forming in dense rounded masses, while as night came 
on, and it was getting dark, the rain again began; so we 
hastened to our carts, which were standing by the edge of the 
wood quite close to Kovil, and drove on as fast as possible 
to the spot outside the village where our steamer was 
anchored. 
The water was much swollen by the many heavy storms of 
rain, so the rather shaky planks which connected our floating 
abode with the dry land had to be advanced still further into 
the flooded meadow; and I must confess to feeling a certain 
pleasurable sensation on stepping into the warm comfortable 
cabin, where a good hot dinner was awaiting us, after a long 
fatiguing day, during which we had been wet to the skin 
several times. 
The two Savants had spent the day in the large swamp and 
inundated woods close to the village, and had bagged a 
Bittern, a Purple Heron, a Night-Heron, three Terns, and a 
great Sedge-Warbler, while some interesting observations on 
the migration of the Terns and Glossy Ibises had recompensed 
them for the many difficulties and exertions attendant on an 
exploration of these flooded districts. 
Brehm had also to-day proved himself a thorough natu- 
