TENTH DAY. 171 



the shadow of a vulture glided over the ground in front of us, 

 and we soon heard the great bird settle on an oak not far off, 

 but it had already been made wary by the shots, and, on my 

 trying to steal up, flew away before I could get a clear sight 

 of it. 



On reaching the edge of the clearing I observed a beautiful 

 pair of Pygmy Eagles playfully wheeling about. The smaller 

 bird had a dazzling white breast, and was evidently the male, 

 while the female was clad in a homely dress of dark brown ; 

 this being the second time that I had seen a paired couple of 

 these birds varying in colour. When they came pretty near 

 me I fired, first at the male and then at the female ; but I had 

 miscalculated the distance, and the shots were quite ineffectual. 

 I also saw some Imperial Eagles cruising round the mountain- 

 tops a long way off. 



In somewhat less than a quarter of an hour we got to our 

 cart, and I said good-bye to the very superior jagers of the 

 Greek monasteries, who, made happy with their gratuities, 

 overflowed with compliments and farewell speeches, and 

 kept shouting out their thanks long after the trap had 

 driven off. 



Our road now conducted us in a westerly direction, along 

 the highest ridge of the mountains. It was a glorious after- 

 noon : the sun was sinking towards the west ; a gentle breeze 

 rustled through the tree-tops, and the oppressive heat of the 

 day gradually began to subside. We rattled along, mostly 

 through the luxuriantly green woods, where a clearing or a 

 low coppice now and then afforded us an open view of the 

 splendid heights of Servia and the adjacent Turkish provinces. 

 On our right the mountains sloped more gently, only 

 becoming steeper a long way off, and from time to time we 

 caught a distant glimpse of the blue line of the Danube and 

 of the Hungarian plains. 



After we had been driving for about half an hour, we met 



