110 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 
and I went to the Catholic church to hear Mass. The church 
is very plain, and may really be said to be rather poor and 
neglected. A lean and hungry-looking priest said low mass 
and preached the Gospel in Servian. The Catholic commu- 
nity is very small, for, with the exception of a few families, 
the whole population belongs to the Orthodox Greek Church. 
After service we went back to our vessel for lunch. During © 
our absence the two Savants had observed many large birds of 
prey flying pretty low towards the Hungarian plains, and _ 
quite undisturbed by the noise and bustle, the firing of 
cannon, and the ringing of bells. Sea-Eagles, Imperial 
Eagles, and, according to Hodek, also a Griffon Vulture had 
been seen, and a White Stork, which was nesting on one of 
the houses of the village, had come repeatedly to the steamer 
and flown round it in amazement. As Hodek had no per- 
sonal knowledge of the Fruska-Gora, and was well aware that 
we should be quite safe in the hands of Count Chotek and his 
splendid staff of foresters, he asked for a few days’ leave of 
absence, and leaving the ‘ Vienna’ behind him, and abandon- 
"ing all his work to his son, disappeared before we quitted the 
vessel. He intended to betake himself to the district of 
Tittel and there look for nests in the Kovil and Sater forests, 
which both belong to the Hungarian Crown, and we were to 
follow him a few days later. 
After breakfast we got ready for our very interesting 
shooting-excursion into the mountain valleys. The popula- 
tion of Cerevié meanwhile stood about the bank, looking with 
amazement at our remarkable vessel; and the steamer had 
indeed assumed a very quaint character, for the deck abounded 
with all sorts of weapons—guns, rifles, and boxes ef ammuni- 
tion, the forward part of the upper deck being tenanted by a 
regular menagerie, consisting of young Sea-Hagles, young 
Eagle-Owls, Tawny Owls, my Eagle-Owl, and the two dogs. 
Upon it there was also a large operating-table, where the men 
