SEVENTH DAY. 119 
went leisurely feeding along until he was close to the tree 
with the nest. The wind was blowing down the valley, and 
when he got in a direct line with me he raised his head, 
looked in my direction, and plunged down the slope in a few 
bounds. Soon afterwards my constancy in the pursuit of the 
Cinereous Vultures was put to a severe test, for a large Sea- 
Eagle flew past low down among the branches of the trees, 
between the nesting-tree and my ambush, and only about 
thirty yards otf. A few moments later it was followed by 
another Sea-Kagle, and in some ten minutes more a splendid 
“Stein” Hagle passed close by me in the same direction. 
How easily I could have killed two, perhaps even three, of 
these grand birds, for the shot-gun was lying cocked at my 
side; but to-day I was determined to resist all temptations 
and to bring home a Cinereous Vulture. 
I had not to wait much longer, for suddenly there was a 
loud rushing sound near me, such as I had never heard at 
any eagle’s nest, and at first 1 did not know what to make of 
it; but it was immediately followed by the appearance of 
both the vultures on a tree near the nest, through the 
branches of which they, with difficulty, worked themselves 
with their broad wings. 
The disgusting creatures held their necks at full stretch, 
their flesh-coloured legs hung loosely down, and they rapidly 
flapped their arched contracted wings, seeking a support to 
perch on. The female settled herself at once on the edge of 
the nest, the male on an adjacent tree. 
The dark forest, the grand sweeps of the mountain valleys, 
and my first meeting with the mighty owners of this gigantic 
structure, all contributed to put me into such an uncontrollable 
state of excitement, that before I aimed I knew that it was 
all over as regarded this nest. The rifle shook like a reed in 
my hands, and in vain I tried to keep the sight steady on the 
breast of the vulture, which was still standing upright on the 
