80 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 



turbance ; so I hastened back to the cart, that I might turn 

 my attention to an Osprey' s nest, situated quite close to the 

 abode of the Short-toed Eagle, before betaking myself to a 

 more distant part of the forest. Unfortunately I did not 

 find the Osprey at home, and the male Short-toed Eagle was 

 still shyly wheeling about in the highest regions. 



While driving further on I met my brother-in-law re- 

 turning from an Osprey's nest, where he had, at short 

 intervals, fired two ineffectual shots at the female, which 

 kept returning ; and as he was now hurrying off in rather 

 bad spirits to visit another pair of the same birds, I gave 

 directions that I should be driven to the spot where he had 

 iust been shooting. 



The large, strongly built nest of the Osprey was placed 

 high amongst the topmost dead branches of a huge oak. 

 After carefully selecting a good position, I gave the order 

 to tap the stem, and found, to my great delight, that the 

 Eagle had allowed itself to be a third time surprised within 

 less than half an hour, for it came gliding over the tops 

 of the trees with an easy sailing flight, and a lucky shot 

 brought it down. It was my first Osprey ; and I had at last 

 attained my ardent wish, and had shot one of these bold 

 robbers, whose strikingly fine plumage, strong scaly legs, 

 powerful hooked beak, and lively habits certainly rank them 

 as among the most ornamental of the European eagles. 



There were now some more storks' nests to go to ; so we 

 turned out of the ride and penetrated into the depths of the 

 forest, driving along an abominable road. There a roe, with 

 a fine head, bounded past the horses : my rifle was lying 

 near me, and at the forester's suggestion I quickly slipped a 

 cartridge into the chamber. The buck stood still for a 

 moment and looked about him confidingly, after the manner 

 of all Hungarian game, and so gave me time to send a ball 

 through his shoulder. The sounding thud of the fatal bullet 



