320 SHORES OF THE CASPIAN. 



peckers, my friend Mr. Miiller, who was a keen 

 observer of natural history, assured me that he 

 had frequently observed near his house during the 

 last two years an extremely small woodpecker, in 

 shape like all its congeners, in size if anything 

 slightly less than a sparrow, and in colour brilliant 

 emerald green. Being a zealous preserver of rare 

 birds, he had never attempted to molest the pair, 

 which he assured me built every year near his hut ; 

 and I fear that it was my keenness to see the bird 

 and his suspicions of my evil intentions with 

 regard to them, which prevented his ever pointing 

 out to me these specimens of a woodpecker as 

 yet unknown I believe to British ornithologists. 



Towards evening, tired with the chase, we 

 would light our cigarettes and make our way home 

 by some well-known track, shooting as we went 

 sufficient cock and pheasants to secure us against 

 the possibility of scarcity during the next few days. 

 Not uncommonly, as we drew near the house, the 

 dogs that for the last quarter of an hour had been 

 wearily following at our heels, with drooping tails, 

 stopping from time to time to lick a lacerated paw, 

 would suddenly erect their hackles, and fresh as 

 ever charge furiously into the home enclosure, 

 where, after the manner of more fashionable beings, 



O I 



the wild swine family had been paying us a visit, 

 having first carefully ascertained that we were sure 

 not to be at home. 



