THE LESGH9AN MOUNTAINS. 257 



follow. For some time there is a struggle between 

 curiosity and fear ; eventually curiosity gains the 

 day, and the whole covey comes up to within some 

 twenty yards of the snare, eagerly talking the 

 matter over amongst themselves as they come. Sud- 

 denly the gunner gives a shrill whistle : instantly 

 all the birds run together ; and in that moment the 

 charge of shot cuts through them, and leaves two- 

 thirds of their number dead on the ground. Yet 

 so foolish are they that, some of the Armenians 

 told me, unless the gunner showed himself, the 

 covey would keep reassembling round the snare 

 until the last bird was killed. Thus covey after 

 covey has been destroyed ; and although the red- 

 legged partridge is as numerous in these hills as 

 mosquitoes in summer, still the Government has 

 thought fit to pronounce the use of these deadly 

 engines illegal, and to impose a heavy fine for the 

 use of them. Of course in these hills the law is 

 a dead letter, and the Armenians will very soon 

 exterminate the bird that now swarms around 

 them. 



As I strolled through the village before con- 

 tinuing my journey, 1 noticed several large mounds 

 rising abruptly in the streets, like large ant-hills. 

 These I found on inquiry were the doors to the 

 Armenian villagers' cellars, and beneath each of 

 them lay buried many a huge red jar of good 

 native wine. Easy as it would be to open these 



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