70 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY 
31st. October.— Kashghar.—During the last fortnight we have 
had two interviews with the Amir ; have taken several rides about 
the neighbourhood in various fbiosbi: and have generally 
been making ourselves acquainted with this place and its people. 
We have been treated with every sign of hospitality, and ‘dastar- 
khwans,’ presents of game, &e., come in daily. Living at 
Kashghar, I find, reminds one, in one respect, of a cantonment 
in India : nearly every morning musketry or artillery: firing 
is heard, and troops, principally cavalry, are often seen moving 
about. 
The weather, even during the last fortnight, has been getting 
perceptibly colder. We have had seven days of more or 
less clear bright weather, on two of which we got good 
views of the hills north and west of us ; three days of hazy 
weather, overcast in the afternoon, with one slicht dust 
storm ; and four days of very naa weather, with sky quite 
Grereast. On the forenoon of the 27th snow fell at intoryalle 
but so lightly as to melt at once on reaching the ground. 
The maximum temperature in the shade has varied from 718 
(on the 19th) to 44°-4 (on the 27th) ; the minimum, from 479-2 
to 26°7 (on the 29th). The minimum thermometer on grass 
has registered as low as 19°°5 ; while owing to the hazy and 
cloudy weather the temperature of the sun’s rays has, as a rule, 
been under 100° F. The extreme range of the mercurial baro- 
meter in the period under consideration has been 0°696 inches. 
Owing to the extreme dryness of the climate and the sandy 
nature of the soil, the roads are very dusty ; but there is 
extensive cultivation everywhere around this place, with many 
gardens and orchards full of large trees. The principal trees are 
the willow and eleagnus, along “the ‘streams ; ; and the poplars, 
Toghrak (P. balsamifera) and Terek (P. alba), usually near 
habitations. The country is intersected by irrigation canals, 
one of which runs close to the north side of the presidency ; 
and the main streams here are the Tuman and Kizil rivers. 
There are also numerous springs, surrounded by marshy 
ground—called Kara Su (black water). I have been collect- 
ing plants and birds, but of course have not got as many 
specimens of either as I wish. I have envaged a curious old 
Chinese bird-catcher, who promises to bring me all the birds 
of the place ; so far, however, he has only” brought a rather 
ingenious cage-trap in which were a number of specimens of 
Erythr ospiza obsoleta ; these birds sing very sweetly and so 
attract their fellows to the cage where they are at once eaught 
by the falling of a trap door. 
And now for an enumeration of the birds of Kashghar 
which I have obtained or seen, so far. 
