26 Mr. C. G. Danford on the 



roundisli hole about eight feet in circumference, which 

 went down into the solid rock. The stones all round were 

 covered with droppings, seeds, beetles' wings, &c. On rolling 

 down a stone a clamour of innumerable Choughs arose. Down 

 below it seemed a perfect pandemonium with their cries and 

 wing-flappings ; none, however, ventured to come up. That 

 night our pursuits took us further into the hills ; but on re- 

 turning to the same spot next day a better light showed that 

 the sides of the hole at some distance below its mouth ^^ere 

 artificially cut into steps ; but, having no rope at hand, it was 

 impossible to explore this curious place. Large stones were 

 again thrown, the sounds of which, dying away in the dis- 

 tance, showed the hole to be of enormous depth. On this 

 occasion the Choughs were absent, which makes it doubtful 

 whether they use the place for breeding, or whether they go 

 down into its depths for water. The steps point to the latter 

 conclusion, although plenty of melted snow-water lay all about 

 in the hollows of the rocks. The existence of this cavern, 

 which was situated on the top of the mountain, at an eleva- 

 tion of about 7000 feet, was quite unknown to any of the 

 natives, 



152. Pyrrhocorax graculus (L.). Jeeak. 



Abundant everywhere in mountainous districts of the south, 

 where it is by far the commonest of the Corvidae. Except in 

 their being a little larger, specimens from Asia Minor corre- 

 spond exactly with those from Western Europe. 



153. CoRvus coRAX, L. Kamas Karga. 

 Generally distributed and common. 



154. CoRVUs coRNix, L. Kel Karga (Dirty Crow). 

 Common everywhere, especially in cultivated districts. 



155. CoRVUS FRUGILEGUS, L. 



Flocks were seen on the plains near Tarsus, but nowhere 

 else. 



156. CoRVUS MONEDULA, L. 



First met with at lazli-tash keui, four days' journey north 

 from Kaisariyeh. Here they were breeding, and occurred at 

 many places on the route to the Black Sea. 



