134 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 



before I could aim, and when I fired the second, the bird was 

 already too far off. 



Attracted by the noise the male eagle also appeared, and 

 the pair now circled overhead screaming loudly. My previous 

 experiences had made me well acquainted with this ominous 

 cry, for the shrill clear scream of the Sea-Eagle is always an 

 unfavourable sign to the sportsman. 



A Common Kite now joined the eagles, and went through its 

 evolutions above them ; and as I saw that there was no further 

 hope, I walked off, feeling very dejected. On the way back 

 to the carts we came across two smaller nests, which the 

 forester said were occupied by Common Kites. He had him- 

 self several times seen these birds sitting on them, and the 

 slightness and looseness of their construction seemed to me 

 evident proof that they were only tenanted by that species. 



The first nest was empty, its owner having probably been 

 frightened off by the shots, as there were only a few trees 

 between it and the great eyrie of the eagle. At the second 



had the tree repeatedly struck, but nothing stirred, and the 

 forester advised me to leave the place and pay a visit to 

 another Cinereous Vulture ; but, led by some fortunate in- 

 spiration, I shot at the nest, and, sure enough, a hawk about 

 the size of a Common Buzzard flew out of it, hard hit. 

 No sooner had I fired than the forester, who was also much 

 amazed, called out " That is not the Kite that always used to 

 be here ! " I, too, had seen the brilliant white breast and light 

 brown back of the bird, so quickly gave it my second barrel, 

 and it fell slanting to the ground. I hurried up and found, 

 only a few yards off among the bushes, a beautifully plumaged 

 male Pygmy Eagle ; and was much delighted thereat, for it is 

 undoubtedly more difficult to shoot a Pygmy Eagle in this 

 district than a considerable number of Sea-Eagles. 



This very rare and finely marked little eagle has long in- 

 terested me, and it was especially surprising to find it for the 



