66 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY 
resident colony in our compound ; the Hoopoe (Upupa epops) 
is constantly seen by the roadside; Starlings (Stwrnus vulgaris) 
in fair number; the Black Crow (Corvus “culminatus) is to be 
seen wherever there is a heap of rubbish for it to peck at; the 
Lapwing (Vanellus cristatus) abounds about marshy ground in 
common with many other waders; and every now “and then 
we see a flock of mallard (dzas boschas) flying overhead. 
12th.—Kokrabat.—Our goods and chattels, for the Kash- 
ghar trip, were started off this morning from Yarkand in three 
‘arabahs,’ only the more fragile things being carried along 
by four ponies. The ‘ arabah’? is the cart of this country : 
a covered vehicle on two wheels and drawn by four horses ; 
of which there is only one wheeler, the other three being harness- 
ed abreast in front. We did not leave the Fort until about 2 
P.M., and were accompanied at starting by the three Yuzbashis, 
Muhammad Yakub, Baba and Tash “’Khoja. The first left us 
very soon, the second one also disappeared after giving us a 
dastarkhwan a few miles out, and Tash Khoja goes on with us 
to Kashghar. Our road lay westward through rich cultivation 
for about four miles or so, when we crossed ‘the Ur pa eanal by 
means of a capital bridge with two spans having brick-built 
towers at each end, pudemered the diunenars Sughuchak. 
About a couple of miles further on, we entered a tract of sand 
hills covered with reeds and coarse grass, and after traversing 
this for some time we came upon marshy ground with pools of 
water on each side of the path. In this swamp I shot three 
waders, two specimens of the Curlew Stint (Tringa subarquata) 
and a Sanderling (Calidms arenaria), and saw some flocks of 
Ducks (Anas boschas.) After this we had a long ride over a 
stony desert plain, passing a crescent-shaped hill of drift sand 
on our right. We did not reach Kokrabat (more than twenty 
miles from Yarkand) until dark, so I have not been able to 
see much of the village. We are installed in a couple of native 
houses here, as we have left our tents at Yarkand. 
13th. Kizil.—Fine ‘mackerel’ sky this morning, anda cold 
north wind blowing. On leaving Kokrabat we rode across a 
flat desert stony steppe where the wind was cold and piercing, a 
sort of aggravated edition of an east wind at home. On this 
ground the Horned Lark (Otocoris penicillata) was very com- 
mon. After travelling for about twelve miles we reached Ak- 
rabat—a little oasis with two wells—where a Yuzbashi, sent by 
the Amir to attend us, presented us with a dastarkhwan. Then 
another ride of about ‘thirteen miles over a desert waste, without 
a trace of vegetation, brought us to the village of Kizil (2. e., 
Red) so called from the red color of the soil which contains a 
large amount of iron, 
