-498 ORNITHOLOGICAL SKETCHES 



Curiously enough this eagle now never breeds in the auen 

 of the Danube, which offer it such splendid fishing-grounds, 

 for I only know of one nest there, and that has been deserted 

 for many years. 



Sea-Eagles and Kites are the most malicious tormentors of 

 the poor Osprey, for they worry it incessantly during the 

 whole time that it is breeding, and also rob it of its cleverly 

 gained booty ; indeed, I believe that the great numbers of 

 Kites which nest in the auen of Lower Austria have driven 

 the Ospreys to settle elsewhere. 



This applies, in a still greater degree, to the Hungarian 

 auen, for in the great maze of woods between Mohacs and 

 the Draueck, where all the requirements of the Osprey exist 

 in great abundance, I only found two of its nests and saw 

 very few of these birds flying up and down the numerous 

 branching arms of the Danube. There, again, the quantities 

 of Sea-Eagles, added to the goodly numbers of the Black 

 Kites, are the drawbacks that prevent the Ospreys from 

 taking up their quarters in those districts. I went one day 

 from the auen of the Danube to the* Keskend wood, a large 

 but perfectly dry oak forest, some hours' drive from the 

 river, and had on the way already caught sight of some 

 Ospreys fishing along the small streams that flowed to the 

 Danube ; but in this forest, far away from all marshes and 

 rivers, I found several of their nests, close to each other, near 

 the eyrie of a Short-toed Eagle, and surrounded by the 

 dwellings of the Black Storks, which were very common in 

 that locality. It was beautiful to see the Osprey among the 

 Storks as they flew to and fro over the oaks. 



In many of the Alpine districts I found this eagle quite 

 common ; in others, however, it either did not occur at all or 

 was very rare. In the Alps it shows a preference for the 

 neighbourhood of mountain-lakes, and this is the reason why 



