132 FIFTEEN J)AYS ON THE DANUBE. 



high trees now brought us into a lonely forest glen, where a 

 large eagle's nest stood on a very low oak and in a most 

 charming situation. 1 crept up below it, but on trying to 

 drive out the bird found that it was not at home, so I sat 

 down in the hut, which had been specially arranged before- 

 hand, but which, having been too artistically built, had 

 probably scared the eagles. 



In about half an hour both the birds came up and circled 

 round, with anxious cries, for they had detected my presence. 

 I thought of waiting to see whether they would not quiet 

 down, but they were too thoroughly alarmed to allow of my 

 hoping that they would come within shot. On one of them I 

 could distinctly distinguish the mark of the Imperial Eagle, 

 and now saw that all the birds which the keepers here 

 called Golden Eagles were not Aquila clirysaetus but Aquila 

 imperialis^ which seems to be pretty common in this 

 district. 



As this was the first time that I had visited the nest of this 

 southern bird, which is unquestionably the most beautiful of all 

 the large eagles, I was much vexed at having to leave it, and 

 only did so after fully convincing myself that it would be 

 useless to take any further trouble. 



Again I hastened up the hillside to the ridge, where the 

 carts had meanwhile arrived, the drivers having repaired the 

 damages, and we now made a fresh attempt at driving down 

 the steep slopes of this wretched road. After spending another 

 hour in rattling about in all directions along the ridge and 

 over the tops of the most magnificent wooded hflls, the 

 forester told the driver to stop. 



A footpath which followed a continuous level now led me 

 into a damp wood of fine large beeches and oaks, with an 

 undergrowth of rank grass and hawthorn bushes. Here the 

 little brooks and rivulets which ran down to the valley 

 prattled merrily among the stones, and through the trees we 



