256 THE LESGHIAN MOUNTAINS. 



figures flitting about, busy with some household 

 work, bringing home the cattle, or carpet-making. 



Before almost every house stood a large frame, 

 constructed after the manner of the wool-work 

 frames of English ladies, only that it was as large 

 almost as the entire face of the hut. On these, 

 without any copy to work from, the Armenian 

 villagers worked those carpets, which are sold in 

 Tiflis as Persian of a second quality, or as 

 avowedly Armenian, from Shusha or Shemakha. 



There is not unfrequently another and a smaller 

 frame covered w r ith canvas, on which are daubs of 

 a brilliant colour, standing in the doorway beside 

 the carpet frame. This is for quite another pur- 

 pose, and is the property of the young men of the 

 establishment. Armed with this gaudy shield and 

 his old gun the Armenian fowler will procure as 

 many red-legs as he needs for the pot. The modus 

 operandi is as follows. A covey of birds having 

 been found, the man approaches with his shield in 

 front of him, so that from the first the birds never 

 see their enemy. When the attention of the covey 

 has been secured, the gunner stops, and planting 

 his shield before him, watches the birds through a 

 loophole in its centre. At first they probably 

 retire before the strange thing that comes towards 

 them, but as soon as it stops they stop too. Then 

 perhaps the shield is gradually drawn back ; as 

 gradually, with heads craning forward, the birds 



