io SPORT IN THE CRIMEA. 



alien to our notions of sport but so are most of 

 their sporting habits. They never shoot flying 

 if they can get a chance sitting. Bears and boars 

 and such large game they shoot from platforms in 

 trees at night ; and I never saw a horse jump hi 

 all my three years in Southern Russia. Of course, 

 what applies to the Crimea and the Caucasus may 

 not apply to other parts of Russia. 



As long as we keep in the rosemary, hares, 

 quails, and strepita are all we are likely to meet 

 with, except that in the valley and on the less 

 sunny hillsides the dogs ever and anon flush 

 large owls, that sail away hardly as bewildered as 

 they are generally supposed to be by the sunlight. 

 Overhead kites and harriers swim about in the 

 clear sky, keeping a keen look-out for winged 

 quails or wounded hares. But as we get to the 

 top of the next rising ground we see in the plain 

 far away at our feet a long line of what might well 

 be grey-coated infantry. A closer inspection, or a 

 previous acquaintance with the objects before us, will 

 enable us to make them out to be bustards feeding 

 line upon line in a flock or herd, to speak correctly 

 of several hundreds. Most of them are busy with 

 their heads on the ground, gleaning what they can 

 from an old maize field ; but here and there, at a 

 slight distance from the rest, stands a sentry that 

 the most wary stalker cannot baflie, or the most 

 alluring grain tempt from his ceaseless watch. 



