56 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY 
Yarkand only ten days ago. Saw a good many Pigeons (C. 
rupicola) on the road; and here they are very numerous, perch- 
ing on the sides of the cliffs. Wheatears (Sazicola deserti) 
common about, and I noticed several flocks of Choughs. 
23rd —Tarbughoz, 14,057 feet.—After leaving Kurgan Ali 
Nazar we forded the Karakash River, and then our road lay 
northwards up a narrow gorge, through which a smallrivulet ran 
to join the Karakash. In this gorge I noticed some blocks looking 
like marble, here and there many pieces of a coarse kind of jade, 
and abundance of debris of mica schist. As we proceeded the 
gorge became narrower and very winding, and we had _ to go 
over the very worst ground we have met since leaving India: 
small steep ascents, over huge boulders and all kinds of loose 
stone, at'every step; on either side tremendous vertical cliffs. 
Our camping ground here, near the top of the gorge is so very 
tight, that only a few of the tents can be pitched, and we are all 
perforce huddled up together. Of course there is neither pasture 
nor fuel on the spot. Montifringilla hamatopygia seems to be 
quite at home here, and the Raven (C. tibetanus) is pretty nu- 
merous. 
24th.—Tarbughoz over Sanju Pass to Kichik Yailak.—Clear 
bright morning on starting from Tarbughoz; the horses 
could neither carry, men nor loads across the Sanju Pass, so 
we had to indent on the Kirghiz for yaks. There was a diffi- 
culty about getting a sufficient number of the yaks to take all 
our party across the pass, so some of our followers and things 
had to be left at Tarbughoz ; they will rejoin us to-morrow, 
however. Very few Kirghiz about, to lead the yaks we got, 
so I had to tfust very much to the tender mercies of the beast 
I rode to take me wherever he chose. On leaving Tarbughoz 
we turned sharp to the left up avery narrow rocky gorge, 
covered with shingle, and whose small streamlet had a sheet of 
ice on its surface. This gorge soon widened out, becoming 
steeper and steeper and disclosing to our view splendid snow- 
covered mountains ahead and on each side of us. A great 
many carcases of dead horses were lying about, near which the 
Ravens (C. tibetanus) were assembled in parties; flocks of 
Red-billed Choughs (Fregilus graculus) were. flying about, 
uttering their desolate sounding ery ; and the Mountain Finches 
( Montifringilla hematopygia) were running about on the 
ground. 
As we proceeded the gorge seemed to vanish and we began 
to ascend the mountain side towards the ridge ahead of us, whose 
top was covered with snow. I heard many Snow Pheasants 
( Tetraogallus tibetanus) calling, and so dismounted to try and 
find them; I soon saw a party of four of these birds, one of 
