THIRTEENTH DAY. 213 
down between the trees, heavily laden with materials for giving 
the finishing touches to its nest, which it visited several times, 
always vanishing again in the same direction. 
Hodek, who had accompanied me, had also hidden himself, 
and was sitting watching a few hundred yards off. Close to 
him a Blackbird with white wings was hopping about the 
bushes ; and on seeing this rare freak of Nature he hastened 
to fetch me, but when we got to the place there was no Black- 
bird to be found. 
The time was passing quickly, and a glance at my watch 
showed me that I should have to return; so after strolling 
through the whole of this part of the wood, I went back with 
Hodek and the excellent Tareza to the broad ride, where the 
carts were waiting, and, starting on our homeward drive, soon 
reached the spot at the edge of the forest where [ had killed 
the Imperial Eagle at the commencement of our yesterday’s 
ramblings. 
Having still half an hour to spare, 1 went under the tree 
and waited to see whether a lucky chance might not bring the 
male bird within reach of my gun; but as the eagle very 
soon appeared and swept round our ambush in wide circles, it 
seemed useless to stay any longer, so I sent the climber up to 
the nest, and to my great astonishment he found it was quite 
empty, the eggs having most probably been carried off by 
some other bird of prey or by the thievish Hooded Crows, 
after the female had been shot. 
I now quickly returned to the cart, where I found my 
brother-in-law, who had been well repaid for his great perse- 
verance, for he had brought back with him a magnificent male 
Imperial Eagle. 
Continuing our homeward route together, we rattled over 
the field-roads at a good pace, and I had only a cursory 
opportunity of observing the numerous birds which had been 
enticed out of the woods by the splendid sunny afternoon 
