126 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 



than its nearest relative, the Cinereous Vulture. The light 

 colouring of the former is more richly gradated, but the 

 mixture of deep black and dark brown, the pointed tail, and 

 the somewhat larger size of the latter bird give it altogether 

 a more imposing appearance. 



Well satisfied, we stepped on to the deck of our steamer 

 again, and our crew gazed with amazement at the huge birds 

 which some of the people were with difficulty lugging up. 

 We found Bombelles already on board. The keepers had 

 been mistaken, for the nest which they had believed to be 

 that of a Cinereous Vulture, and from which Prince Hohenlohe 

 had shot one of these birds only a few years before, was 

 now inhabited by Sea-Eagles. Bombelles had got some very 

 difficult shots at the eagles as they flew towards the nest, 

 but thought that he had wounded one of them in the wing ; 

 and some days later his conjecture was verified, for a 

 Slavonian peasant found a badly wounded eagle sitting in a 

 stream, and brought it on deck alive. 



At first we did not know where to put our vultures, for 

 their horrible stench poisoned the whole vessel. My cabin 

 window was open, and above it, on the upper deck, lay the 

 dead birds, yet in the short space of five minutes the whole 

 place was completely permeated with the stench of carrion. 



After dinner Brehm and I took their measurements, but 

 without a cigar in one's mouth one really could not go near 

 the birds ; and the taking of their exact dimensions was an 

 act of great self-sacrifice, for whenever they were moved, 

 especially when the stiffened wings were pulled apart, gases 

 escaped which compelled the bystanders to retire invo- 

 luntarily a few paces. By young Hodek's advice they were 

 put at the extreme point of the bow, and left there all night, 

 while we, tired by the toils of the day's shooting, vanished 

 into our sleeping-quarters one by one shortly after dinner, 

 and complete quiet soon reigned on board the steamer. 



