ELEVENTH DAY. 185 



Into one of these covers, which was formed of very fine 

 high trees and surrounded by fields, my brother-in-law and I 

 now entered and crept cautiously forwards. 



This wood, like all those situated among fields, was richly 

 stocked with a great variety of birds, such as Wood-Pigeons, 

 Stock-Doves, Turtle-Doves, Jackdaws, Orioles, Hoopoes, 

 Kestrels, Woodpeckers, &c. ; and quite a multitude of small 

 songsters of all sorts were fluttering among the leafy tree- 

 tops. We could already see in the distance the medium- 

 sized nest of some sort of hawk; but the old keeper, who 

 did not seem much versed in ornithology, declared that, 

 though he had often seen its owner, he did not know what it 

 was. We therefore cautiously approached the place ; and 

 when we had got within a few yards of the tree a tolerably 

 large bird glided quickly from the nest and fell to the first 

 shot. It proved to be a fine powerful Spotted Eagle at 

 which I was much delighted, for it was the first time that 

 1 had ever been fortunate enough to shoot this beautiful 

 inhabitant of the eastern part of our continent. 



Only a few yards away there was a Raven's nest upon 

 a very high elm ; so that we again found this shy and 

 interesting bird in a perfectly flat district, and close to 

 the edge of a little wood surrounded by fields. The two 

 Ravens, much more wary than any eagle, swept round 

 over our heads in great circles, uttering their monotonous 

 grating cry ; and in vain we hid for some time near the 

 nest, for the birds would not come near us. 



Before leaving the place I struck the stem of an oak 

 tree, whereupon one of the young Ravens, which were 

 already quite big and fully feathered, hopped out of the 

 nest, and I shot the plump fellow ; while the two others 

 were brought down by our climber, as an addition to our 

 menagerie. 



A little further on, the keeper showed us a second 



