TENTH DAY. 159 



into the interior of the outlying hills. The steep road now 

 ran through a valley up to a high plateau, and then went 

 on up and down hill through vineyards, stony pastures, and 

 meadows to the Fruska-Gora. 



Here the wooded heights receded further than at Cerevic, 

 and much time was lost in getting to the true mountains, but 

 the scenery was at many points very attractive. At a very 

 awkward place in one of the defiles I noticed a beautifully 

 coloured bird which I at once recognized as a Rock-Thrush, 

 and thinking its plumage so very pretty, and that it would 

 also be useful to the Savants for their measurements, I shot it. 



In this district the margin of the forest is on the high 

 plateau itself, and is not separated from the outlying hills by 

 a valley as it is at Cerevic. First came hazel-copses and a 

 few thorny thickets covered with Ifrild roses, while the masses 

 of rock which lay scattered among them gave this part of the 

 country a very singular appearance. A pair of Common 

 Kites were playing about above us, and we also saw a 

 " Stein " Eagle cruising in the distance. 



On reaching the forest the road became worse than the 

 very worst I have ever driven on. Count Chotek had already 

 .taken leave of me, saying that he would await me at the 

 shooting-lodge in the evening. 



The Greek monastery, where these poor monks must lead a 

 most monotonous and miserable existence, lay in a lonely 

 glen to our right, almost hidden among the trees ; and after 

 we had been driving towards it for about half an hour along 

 this most abominable road, which was bordered by thick 

 bushes, the forester begged me to stop, as we were near an 

 Imperial Eagle's nest. We now stole cautiously along a 

 steep slope in the direction of the glen where the monastery 

 was situated. The whole hillside was covered with dense 

 underwood, above which rose a few very tall young oaks, on 

 one of which stood the eagle's nest. It was useless to think 



