58 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 
afterwards its broad shadow was gliding over our heads. 
There was unhappily no chance of a safe shot at the bird as it 
went into the nest, although there was an opening in the 
branches just above me which allowed of my seeing that it 
was carrying a pretty large fish in its claws. 
Directly we heard the noise made by the huge bird as it 
folded its wings and hopped inside from the edge of the nest 
I crept out of our ambush, stepped quietly to the opposite 
side of the tree to look for a place where I could get a per- 
fectly open shot, and as soon as I had been lucky enough 
to find one I sent Hodek to tap the stem. 
The eagle was so busy feeding its young that it did not hear 
our steps as we splashed through a deep water-hole, and it 
was only after the trunk of the tree had been repeatedly struck 
that I distinctly heard movements in the nest. The boughs 
bent, some small twigs fell from its edge, and with a loud 
bustle the great Sea-Hagle slowly spread its wings, and glided 
quickly through the topmost branches of the trees in a slanting 
direction close past me. I had for an instant a clear sight of 
it between the two trees, and, availing myself of that moment, I 
fired, and the bird, contracting its wings, crashed through the 
twigs and foliage and fell with a sharp thud to the ground. 
In a few strides we got up to it, and dragged it into our 
hiding-place. It was another very fine specimen, with the 
pale-yellowish plumage, bleached beak, and wax-coloured feet, 
which plainly showed great age. 
As the other bird had not witnessed the death of its spouse, 
Hodek advised me to repair to my ambush, and wait for it at 
least an hour ; nor was it long before the very large powerful 
female appeared on the outskirts of the wood, flying slowly 
up low over the water. 
The Ducks and Moorhens which had been scared by the 
shot were still fluttering about and making a great noise. 
This seemed to rouse the suspicions of the eagle, for it took 
