&4 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 
counted eight or ten stags and several hinds lying in the 
shade of the trees—some of the former being exceptionally 
large, so far as one could judge from their horns, which were 
by no means fully developed. 
After I had thoroughly examined them with the glass we 
drove on, and our forest-track soon came to an end, for we had 
reached a broad ride, at the extremity of which we could see 
the shooting-lodge, though it was still a long way off. Here, 
on a leafy tree at the edge of the ride, was the Black Kite’s 
nest, with the forked tail of this fine bird of prey protruding 
far beyond it. The slightest clap of the hands sent it off the 
nest, and a shot brought it dead to the ground. 
After this short episode we drove on to the shooting-lodge, 
and on urging my driver to make haste, he put his little 
Hungarian horses to the gallop, and we flew lightly and 
quickly over the turf. In a few minutes I had reached the 
shooting-lodge, where my companions, who were already 
assembled there, were not a little surprised at the sight of my 
heavily-laden cart; and it certainly was a varied collection 
which lay within that small space in the still repose of death, 
for two Roe, one Short-toed Eagle, two Ospreys, and three 
Black Storks were taken out of the cart. I at once sent the 
climber into the wood to bring down the Black Stork which 
I had killed and left lying in the nest ; and in about an 
hour he returned with the bird. 
My brother-in-law had killed a small roe, and owing to a 
violent attack of buek-fever had missed a very large one. 
It had been an unfortunate day for him altogether, as he had 
only brought back one Black Stork and a Common Buzzard 
from all the nests ‘which had been allotted to him, the 
desperately bad luck which had pursued him at the two 
Ospreys’ nests having been the worst part of all. 
Homeyer had returned with one Black Stork, while Bom- 
belles and Brehm had experienced many misfortunes at the 
