ELEVENTH DAY. 185 
Into one of these covers, which was formed of very fine 
high trees and surrounded by fields, my brother-in-law and I 
now entered and crept cautiously forwards. 
This wood, like all those situated among fields, was richly 
stocked with a great variety of birds, such as Wood-Pigeons, 
Stock-Doves, Turtle-Doves, Jackdaws, Orioles, Hoopoes, 
Kestrels, Woodpeckers, &c.; and quite a multitude of small 
songsters of all sorts were fluttering among the leafy tree- 
tops. We could already see in the distance the medium- 
sized nest of some sort of hawk; but the old keeper, who 
did not seem much versed in ornithology, declared that, 
though he had often seen its owner, he did not know what it 
was. We therefore cautiously approached the place; and 
when we had got within a few yards of the tree a tolerably 
large bird glided quickly from the nest and fell to the first 
shot. It proved to be a fine powerful Spotted Hagle—at 
which I was much delighted, for it was the first time that 
1 had ever been fortunate enough to shoot this beautiful 
inhabitant of the eastern part of our continent. 
Only a few yards away there was a Raven’s nest upon 
a very high elm; so that we again found this shy and 
interesting bird in a perfectly flat district, and close to 
the edge of a little wood surrounded by fields. The two 
Ravens, much more wary than any eagle, swept round 
over our heads in great circles, uttering their monotonous 
grating cry; and in vain we hid for some time near the 
nest, for the birds would not come near us. 
Before leaving the place I struck the stem of an oak 
tree, whereupon one of the young Ravens, which were 
already quite big and fully feathered, hopped out of the 
nest, and I shot the plump fellow; while the two others 
were brought down by our climber, as an addition to our 
menagerie. 
A little further on, the keeper showed us a second 
