222 BIRD-HUNTING 



I could see the head of a bird in it. Pointing it out 

 to one of the Albanians who was with me, he said it 

 was a Houtin. This meant, I knew, an Eagle or 

 Vulture ; for, like the Spanish herdsmen, these men 

 do not know there is any difference, and have but 

 the one name for both birds. But he said that there 

 was much water in the forest, and that it would be 

 no easy thing to reach the spot. However, I made 

 arrangements to go there the next morning under 

 his guidance, and see for myself what it was. I 

 thought that in all probability, judging from the size 

 of the nest visible from such a great distance, that it 

 would be that of a Black Vulture (Vultur monachtts). 

 For only a few days before I had seen one of these 

 great birds circling round in company with some 

 Griffons above the carcase of a donkey as we rode 

 out from Durazzo. 



We found it an hour's ride to reach this nest, and 

 certainly there was much water in the forest. These 

 Albanian forests are very weird-looking places, and 

 most difficult to penetrate owing to the lack of roads, 

 the deep mud, the water-logged state of everything, 

 and the thorns. The trees are chiefly oak and very 

 large, but in this part they had been lopped and 

 burnt until they presented the most curious appear- 

 ance. Their twisted branches and gaunt trunks 

 divested of bark were of a ghastly dead-white, and 

 the hollowed trunks were burnt and scorched with 



