THROUGH WILD EUROPE 109 



sure-footed, and the pleasantest and easiest horse to 

 ride I have ever been on. What splendid gallops I 

 have had on both of them ! and what glorious days 

 of wild, free life through forest and hillside and 

 marsh we have had together ! — days long to be 

 remembered with delight, mingled with regret at the 



unlikelihood of ever meeting again. For B has 



gone, transferred to the United States ; 1 his two 

 horses have been sold ; and poor old Nero, our 

 constant companion, is dead. 



After a long search, at last we found a large nest 

 which B remembered having seen when Wood- 

 cock shooting, and sure enough it was occupied by 

 a pair of Sea Eagles, presumably our friends of the 

 lagoon. It was placed high up an immense silver 

 poplar, a very favourite tree with large birds of 

 prey, and in it we could see the head and neck, and 

 presently nearly the whole body, of a nearly fledged 

 young bird. This was on the 20th of April. 



I photographed this young bird, but without 

 much hopes of a very successful result, for there 

 were many leaves of the tree in the way, which 

 moved about in the high wind, besides which the 

 surrounding trees made it impossible to get a clear 



1 While this book is going through the Press, comes an invita- 

 tion to meet him on his way back from the States and join him in 

 a foray among the Chamois, Trout, and Eagles of the Carpathians, 

 with the chance of photographing a Lammergeier. 



