186 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 



Spotted Eagle's nest ; but unfortunately the bird, having 

 been put on the alert by the previous shots, flew off before 

 we could get near enough to it. 



My brother-in-law now hid himself in a thicket to await 

 the Eagle's return ; while I slanted across the wood to the 

 carriages, finding on the way several empty nests, but only 

 one tenanted, and that by a Crow, whom- 1 let live in peace, 

 as I did not want to frighten away any better bird by 

 shooting. Two shots soon sounded, in suspiciously quick 

 succession ; and in a few minutes my brother-in-law 

 appeared, without an eagle, having missed the bird 

 as it was flying up to the nest. We now got into the 

 carriages and drove along a road running through waving 

 corn-fields and little woods, towards another cover of some- 

 what larger dimensions. 



During the drive we saw two very fine roebucks crossing 

 the fields from wood to wood, while a Short-toed Eagle, 

 some Spotted Eagles, and some Black Kites were circling 

 aloft, and great numbers of Wood-Pigeons were whirring 

 about between the fields and the trees. 



We now halted at the edge of a beautiful little wood, 

 where the undergrowth was very dense, and where a narrow 

 footpath led us into dark shady recesses covered with a 

 perfect roof of leaves. 



The first nest we came to was a Spotted Eagle's, and my 

 brother-in-law posted himself ready to shoot, while I stole 

 up to the tree to drive out the bird ; and scarcely had the 

 frightened eagle quitted its dwelling, when Leopold knocked 

 it down with a good shot. 



A little way further on we found a Kite's nest, from which 

 the forked tail of the beautiful bird protruded a long 

 way. I was quite sure that it was the Black Kite, which 

 is so very abundant in Hungary, and not the Common Kite, 

 which we had so seldom met with during our journey. 



