408 BEAR-SHOOTING IN TRANSYLVANIA. 



killed twenty-nine Woodcock, two Hares, one Sparrow-Hawk r 

 one Goatsucker, and three Jays. 



On the 2nd of October we could only devote a small part 

 of the morning to shooting, as we had to leave in the after- 

 noon. We therefore chose the nearer ground, which we had 

 shot over on the first occasion, and where we now found a 

 great many Cock, and killed seventeen of them, besides one 

 Hare and a Sparrow-Hawk. This brought our shooting in 

 Transylvania to a close for the time being. 



I had unhappily not selected the right season, for we had 

 come at least a week too early, and ought to have waited 

 until about the middle of October. It was only during the 

 last days of our shooting that the bears began to leave the 

 virgin forests higher up, and to betake themselves to the out- 

 lying woods, and one could very well see how from day 

 to day they were changing their quarters, for more were 

 reported by the trackers, and more were seen and encountered 

 by us. 



A telegram which I received from Transylvania on the 

 12th of October further confirmed my view of the matter, for 

 on the llth my neighbour Baron K. shot an outlying wood 

 situated a few miles from my march, and met with seven 

 bears in the course of the day. Count T. killed a large 

 female and a medium-sized one. A young male fell to old 

 Herr v. M., and a fairly well-grown female to a keeper, 

 while two were missed and one escaped without being shot at. 



Still we had reason to be well satisfied with our shooting 

 trip, though it was unfortunately rather premature, for three 

 Bears had been killed and four wounded, while the guns had 

 seen four others, but had allowed them to pass without firing, 

 and one had broken back through the beaters. 



