Ornithology of Asia Minor. 267 



all Turks ; and great reputation attaches to a good sportsman. 

 On most Fridays there is a general hunt^ in which all the 

 boys and able-bodied men are expected to join. Any one 

 who absents himself is made to ride round the village on a 

 donkey, and has mud put on his face. In aggravated cases his 

 house is pulled down. 



We left Zebil February 26th, having up to that time iden- 

 tified eighty species of birds. These, with one or two excep- 

 tions, were all either residents or winter visitors. 



On leaving Zebil our way lay through hilly ground, past 

 the isolated rock of Nimrouu, on the summit of which is an 

 old Armenian castle. The village is at the base of the rock, 

 and is a favourite " yaila " of the people of the plain. Scattered 

 all round are numerous " chardaks " (wooden houses), each 

 standing in its own ground, and surrounded by vineyards, 

 and orchards of plum, cherry, apricot, peach, and walnut 

 trees. Further on, the eastern branch of the Cydnus was 

 crossed. This stream flows through a deep ravine, also called 

 " Jehannum deresi ;" but the scenery, though wild and pictu- 

 resque, is not so grand as that of the other branch described 

 above. 



The ascent of the opposite side, through fir- woods, brought 

 us to the village of Gsensin, a small place prettily situated in 

 a well-wooded country, and commanding fine views of the 

 highest peaks of the Bulgar-dagh. Here we remained a few 

 days, without adding much to our collection, until the morn- 

 ing of our departure, when a man arrived with a pair of Te- 

 traogallus. He had been out three days on the snow, and 

 was as much delighted at beating all other competitors as 

 with receiving the promised reward. 



The birds were at once recognized as not being identical 

 with the species from the Caucasus ; and as we were not then 

 acquainted with the Persian bird [T. casjnus) we took them" 

 to be a new species, and accordingly went on our way with 

 much rejoicing. 



The road lay by the celebrated pass of Gulek and the now 

 abandoned castles and earthworks constructed by Ibrahim 

 Pasha for the defence of this important position, which com- 



