SEVENTH DAY, 123 
upon what it kills itself, but only upon the most disgust- 
ing carrion. During the day they fly many miles away 
over the plains of the Save into the adjacent country of Servia, 
as well as into the Bosnian mountain-gorges, to devour the 
numerous carcasses which are there lying about. Every one 
of the vultures which we killed had its crop still stuffed with 
the most unsavoury remains of carrion, and their beaks gave 
out a stench which would have been quite enough to make 
any one faint who was afflicted with weak nerves. On what 
exciting battle-fields and on how many Turk and Russian 
corpses may not these vultures have sat during the last 
campaign ! for, thanks to its splendid powers of flight, there 
is no bird which makes such incredibly long journeys as 
the vulture. The thoughts of such things made the 
slain creature seem still more repulsive, and even the case- 
hardened woodman carried the heavy bird on his back with 
loathing. 
To shorten the way we crept slowly down the steep hillside, 
and through a glen thickly overgrown with bushes, wild 
vines, and hops, and then up another still more abrupt slope, 
the poor woodman panting under his burden, while even we 
made but poor progress. Before getting to the carts I met 
Leopold, who was obliged to return from his shooting-ground . 
by the same route. At his feet lay a very large vulture, for 
my brother-in-law had been luckier than I, for on approaching 
the nest he had seen the bird sitting on a bare branch, and 
getting within good rifle-shot had brought it down with a 
well-directed ball. His spoil, which stank much worse than 
the vulture I had killed, disgusted him so much that he would 
have nothing more to do with Cinereous Vultures, so re- 
pulsive did he find the bird when dead which had seemed so 
beautiful and imposing when soaring aloft. 
Evening was now coming on, and Count Chotek urged us to 
begin our homeward journey as soon as possible, as it would 
