108 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 



of prey passed leisurely over our steamer, but all unfortunately 

 out of shot. 



To our very great delight we observed a " Stein " Eagle 

 sailing through the blue ether with a quiet and imposing 

 flight. It was the only one we had seen ; and a pair of 

 Imperial Eagles, which soon followed it, were also the first of 

 their species which we had met with on this journey. We 

 were charmed at finding that we had at last got within the 

 range of these eastern eagles, and their bright plumage 

 glancing in the sun seemed like a brilliant promise of splendid 

 sporting adventures. Later on Sea-Eagles repeatedly flew 

 over us, both singly and in parties of three or four. Some of 

 them were powerful old birds, with the pale yellowish 

 plumage, and some young ones, one or two years old, in the 

 dark immature dress. 



Though the Apatin " auen " would seem very rich in 

 eagles to any one coming from the forests of Central Europe, 

 one might really say that they are but sparsely peopled with 

 raptorial birds in comparison with the Danubian districts of 

 Slavonia. 



It was interesting to note that the eagles from the Slavonian 

 mountains on the right bank were thronging to the low-lying 

 Hungarian plains on the left, all taking exactly the same line ; 

 for they seem to have established their regular hunting- 

 grounds in the woods and marshes of that district, while their 

 dwellings were placed in the wild heights of the Fruska-Gora. 



The Captain had kept his word, for in a hour's time a 

 picturesquely situated village opened to our view, and on our 

 asking if this was Cerevic, he replied in the affirmative. Some 

 rather extensive " auen " run along the left bank of the river 

 opposite the village, and before coming to the place itself one 

 passes close to some large thickly wooded islands. On the right 

 side are crumbling banks and abrupt walls of earth, and above 

 them rises a chain of steep hills with bare rounded tops. 



