84 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 



counted eight or ten stags and several hinds lying in the 

 shade of the trees some of the former being exceptionally 

 large, so far as one could judge from their horns, which were 

 by no means fully developed. 



After I had thoroughly examined them with the glass we 

 drove on, and our forest-track soon came to an end, for we had 

 reached a broad ride, at the extremity of which we could see 

 the shooting-lodge, though it was still a long way off. Here, 

 on a leafy tree at the edge of the ride, was the Black Kite's 

 nest, with the forked tail of this fine bird of prey protruding 

 far beyond it. The slightest clap of the hands sent it off the 

 nest, and a shot brought it dead to the ground. 



After this short episode we drove on to the shooting-lodge, 

 and on urging my driver to make haste, he put his little 

 Hungarian horses to the gallop, and we flew lightly and 

 quickly over the turf. In a few minutes I had reached the 

 shooting-lodge, where my companions, who were already 

 assembled there, were not a little surprised at the sight of my 

 heavily-laden cart ; and it certainly was a varied collection 

 which lay within that small space in the still repose of death, 

 for two Roe, one Short-toed Eagle, two Ospreys, and three 

 Black Storks were taken out of the cart. I at once sent the 

 climber into the wood to bring down the Black Stork which 

 I had killed and left lying in the nest ; and in about an 

 hour he returned with the bird. 



My brother-in-law had killed a small roe, and owing to a 

 violent attack of buck-fever had missed a very large one. 

 It had been an unfortunate day for him altogether, as he had 

 only brought back one Black Stork and a Common Buzzard 

 from all the nests which had been allotted to him, the 

 desperately bad luck which had pursued him at the two 

 Ospreys' nests having been the worst part of all. 



Homeyer had returned with one Black Stork, while Bom- 

 belles and Brehm had experienced many misfortunes at the 



