FOURTEENTH DAY. 221 
under weigh, and’ we set off on our return journey, which was 
to be performed without a break. 
We remained on deck, for we could not tear ourselves away 
from the sight of the splendid woods in which we had spent 
such pleasant and highly interesting hours. All the well- 
known spots were quickly passed, and we saw the beautiful 
pictures changing like shifting scenes, while the beauty of the 
day had also enticed the birds from their retreats, and we 
were able to make many interesting observations. 
We soon reached Apatin, where we had to make a little halt, 
as Hodek and his men were going to land. The ‘ Vienna’ was 
also cast loose from the steamer, as the enterprising naturalist 
and his crew were about to engage in a fresh expedition and 
were going back in her the same day, first to Kovil, thence 
up the Theiss, and then further down the Danube. The 
younger Hodek, however, travelled back with us to take 
our spoils to his workshop in Vienna. Both the Hodeks, 
father and son, as well as their men, had done us much skilful 
service throughout the expedition; and the number of large 
birds which they had often skinned in a very short time was 
quite astonishing. 
While the steamer was lying at the Apatin pier we were 
all sitting on deck observing the neighbourhood, when some 
Hooded Crows came flying round the vessel on the outlook 
for kitchen-scraps. One of them ventured particularly near, 
and I shot it, whereupon a miller’s lad, who was proceeding 
to his floating mill in a boat, carried it off as a remembrance, 
without leave or licence. This was the last bird we killed. 
After a stay of about ten minutes we again got under weigh 
and now ran rapidly through all these splendid districts. 
At Mohacs, where the character of the scenery becomes 
monotonous, we set ourselves the task of taking the last 
measurements and of getting into order the note-books which 
