the Birds of Transylvania. 189 



feet. The surface of the country, in point of fact, may be 

 said to resemble a saucer or shallow cup, the land gradually 

 curving upwards from the central undulating plain towards 

 the rim of encircling mountains. Of the central districts of 

 Transylvania, some portions are well wooded and watered; 

 but there are also great tracts of country singularly destitute 

 of timber, the innumerable minor hills and valleys being for 

 the most part waterless. 



Especially remarkable is the district of the Mezoseg (liter- 

 ally "field-lands'"), extending from Apahida, near Klausen- 

 burg, in the west, nearly to Maros-Vasarhely, in the east, 

 and bounded by the courses of three of the principal rivers of 

 Transylvania — the Maros and Aranyos (golden) rivers on the 

 south and south-west, and the Szamos on the north and west. 

 A monotonous country it is, having a weary outline of low 

 hills and valleys, the former rising to a height of 200 or 300 

 feet, the exact counterparts of one another, and enclosing the 

 valleys, which are alike monotonous in their aspect. The 

 surface-soil is rich and loamy, and almost black in colour ; 

 loose and friable in dry weather, but easily converted by a 

 few hours^ rain into a deep sticky mud, which is exceedingly 

 trying to the traveller, whether he be pursuing his journey 

 on foot or driving in the strong rough carts of the country. 

 It is often the case that not even one small stone can be de- 

 tected along miles and miles of a Mezoseg road. The hills 

 near the villages are cultivated to the summits ; and in spring, 

 before the kukoricza (Indian corn) shoots up, or the scat- 

 tered vineyards show their green leaves, the aspect of the 

 country is monotonous in the extreme. 



Underlying the loamy surface-soil, and extending through- 

 out the whole length and breadth of the Mez5seg, at an un- 

 varying depth of about 15 feet, is a band of hard white or 

 yellowish white clay, having a smooth slippery upper surface. 

 Upon this clay, which is almost as hard as rock, the lighter 

 soil slides down the hill-sides in a most remarkable manner, 

 forming the slopes into regular terraces, or pushing the soil 

 lower down into wave-like ridges. In many instances these 

 gigantic landslips actually fill up some of the smaller valleys, 



