80 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 
turbance ; so I hastened back to the cart, that I might turn 
my attention to an Osprey’s nest, situated quite close to the 
abode of the Short-toed Hagle, before betaking myself to a 
more distant part of the forest. Unfortunately I did not 
find the Osprey at home, and the male Short-toed Eagle was 
still shyly wheeling about in the highest regions. 
While driving further on I met my brother-in-law re- 
turning from an Osprey’s nest, where he had, at short 
intervals, fired two ineffectual shots at the female, which 
kept returning ; and as he was now hurrying off in rather 
bad spirits to visit another pair of the same birds, I gave 
directions that I should be driven to the spot where he had 
just been shooting. 
The large, strongly built nest of the Osprey was placed 
high amongst the topmost dead branches of a huge oak. 
After carefully selecting a good position, I gave the order 
to tap the stem, and found, to my great delight, that the 
Hagle had allowed itself to be a third time surprised within 
less than half an hour, for it came gliding over the tops 
of the trees with an easy sailing flight, and a lucky shot 
brought it down. It was my first Osprey; and I had at last 
attained my ardent wish, and had shot one of these bold 
robbers, whose strikingly fine plumage, strong scaly legs, 
powerful hooked beak, and lively habits certainly rank them 
as among the most ornamental of the European eagles. 
There were now some more storks’ nests to go to; so we 
turned out of the ride and penetrated into the depths of the 
forest, driving along an abominable road. There a roe, with 
a fine head, bounded past the horses: my rifle was lying 
near me, and at the forester’s suggestion I quickly slipped a 
cartridge into the chamber. The buck stood still for a 
moment and looked about him confidingly, after the manner 
of all Hungarian game, and so gave me time to send a ball 
through his shoulder. The sounding thud of the fatal bullet 
