8 ARRIVAL AT URGA. 



rich grass supplies abundant food for the cattle of 

 the Mongols all the year round. 



Of the animal kingdom we found few varieties 

 in winter. The most common kinds were the grey 

 partridge {Perdix barbatd), hare {Lepus Tolai), and 

 Alpine hare {Lagomys Ogotono) ; wintering larks 

 {Otocoris albigula), and linnets {Fringilla liuota), 

 along the road-side in large flocks. Handsome red- 

 billed jackdaws {Fi^egillus graculus) became more 

 numerous as we approached Urga, where they actu- 

 ally build their nests in the house occupied by our 

 Consul, The natives told us there were numbers 

 of roe in the woods, as \vell as wild swine and 

 bears. In fact, the fauna of this district, as well as 

 its flora, is quite of a Siberian character. 



After a Aveek's journey, we arrived at the town 

 of Urga, where луе passed four delightful days with 

 the family of the Russian Consul, J. P. Shishmareff. 



The town of Urga, the chief place of Northern 

 Mongolia, is situated on the river Tola, an affluent 

 of the Orkhon, and is well known to all the nomads 

 under the name of Bogdo-Kuren or Ta-Kuren, 

 i.e. sacred encampment; its name of Urga, derived 

 from the word Urgo (palace), was given it by the 

 Russians. 



The town is divided into two halves — the Mon- 

 golian and Chinese. The former is called Bogdo- 

 Kuren, and the latter, not quite three miles to the 

 east of it, bears the name of Mai-mai-cheng, i.e. place 

 of trade. In the centre, half-way between the two 

 parts of Urga, well situated on rising ground near 



