Ornithology of Asia Minor. 263 



of the same formation. The water is certainly remarkably 

 cold^ and seems to hold plenty of fish. 



A couple of days sufficed to get things in order ; and we 

 then left Tarsus for Gozna^ a village in the mountains, the 

 " yaila " or summer-quarters of the richer city-people during 

 the pestilential summer heat. The way lies at first parallel to 

 the Mersina road along the plain, but soon turns oft' into a 

 country made up of a number of small hills, partly rocky 

 and partly earthy. Here the little flats between the hills 

 were gay with pale mauve colchicums, and the slopes were 

 thickly covered with tall heaths, daphne bushes just coming 

 into flower, arid myrtles already in bloom. The birds seen 

 on the way were principally Larks (Calandra and Crested), 

 Chaffinches, and large flocks of Corn-Buntings. A birdcatcher 

 whom we encountered had his net full of live Starlings. 



After passing a small stream and a ruined tower the road 

 became rougher, and rapidly ascended into a higher country, 

 over alternate hills and ravines, both well covered with thorny 

 bushes, myrtles, and other evergreens. A few fir trees were 

 scattered about ; and occasional glimpses were caught of the 

 sea on one side and the snow-hills on the other. As evening 

 came on. Partridges [Caccabis chukar) enlivened the way with 

 their cackling, Jays {Garrulus kryjiickii) screamed, and num- 

 bers of Blackbirds and Thrushes fed busily on the sweet 

 aromatic myrtle-berries. These berries ai'e by no means bad, 

 the white and scarcer kind being, as white fruits usually are, 

 much the best. A hunt after a flock of strange-looking birds, 

 which turned out to be Bulbuls [Fycnonotus xanthopygius), 

 took up so much time that the last two hours of the way were 

 done by moonlight, which made the scenery of the woods and 

 great rocky ravines, by which we led our horses, look doubly 

 wild and mysterious. Gozna is at a high elevation, and, with 

 the exception of the good stone building kindly placed at our 

 disposal by Mr. Debbas (American Consul at Tarsus), con- 

 sists of a number of straggling wooden houses. Its posi- 

 tion in a draughty gap of the hills is, no doubt, agreeable 

 in summer, but makes it any thing but a pleasant winter 

 residence. Birds seem to be pretty much of this opinion too, 



T 2 



