118 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 



European birds of prey. For how difficult is it for any one 

 living in the middle of our continent to get a shot at such a 

 raptorial bird ! and how few are even the thorough sports- 

 men who have, in the whole course of their existence, ever 

 met with this creature, compared to those who only know it 

 from hearsay ! 



The nest of the Cinereous Vulture was placed at the top of 

 a huge oak, which stood on a slope so steep that one could see 

 right into the gigantic structure from a distance of about a 

 hundred paces. The abode of this bird has a very different 

 appearance to that of the eagle, as its exterior is chiefly formed 

 of clay, dirty mud, and quite large boughs of oak, and is more 

 compactly built, and of course much larger, while the light 

 grey colour of the mud makes it visible among the branches 

 a long way off. 



It augured ill for the immediate success of my sport that at 

 the first steps I took along the slope I saw the two vultures 

 cruising over the hillside at no great distance. They had 

 probably just fed their young, and were off' again in search of 

 plunder; so I sat down, well concealed, at a spot where I could 

 get the best view of the edge of the nest, and, laying the shot- 

 gun beside me loaded and cocked, awaited their coming, while 

 the forester wished me good luck, and walked back to send 

 away the cart and hide himself a long way aff. 



Trembling with excitement, I patiently waited to see what 

 would happen. Several times I saw the vultures flying 

 among the tree-tops in the deep woodland glen below me ; and 

 this bird is so extremely imposing in its flight that in com- 

 parison with it the great Sea and " Stein " Eagles suffer, if 

 one may so say, just as much as the Buzzard and Kite do 

 when compared with them. 



I had not been sitting long in my hiding-place when there 

 was a great noise among the bushes near me, and a large 

 stag emerging from the cover, a few yards in front of me, 



