OF EASTERN TURKESTAN. 75 
we have the Tianshan mountains; some low hills running down 
to within ten miles of us. To the west the Kizil Tagh range 
(or Pamir mountains) runs away southwards. To the north- 
east we hear of forest regions in the neighbourhood of 
Maralbashi, while towards the east the country seems to be 
principally an open sandy plain. 
As to the Birds this month, I may preface my enumeration 
by a few words about the celebrated Birkut—the trained Golden 
Eagle (Aquila chrysaetus). On the 13th one of these birds 
was brought for sale, and to show that the Eagle had been 
trained, a little rehearsal took place in the large courtyard in 
front of our quarters. A cat with a fox’s tail tied to it was 
to have been the Birkut’s quarry, but ‘puss’ looked so nice 
that she was spared the ordeal, and a cock had the dangerous 
fox tail tied to its leg and was allowed to run about. The 
Eagle was then unhooded and spreading out its wings it 
made at once for the fowl, swooping with horrible croakings. 
The unfortunate cock screamed with fear as soon as it saw 
the enemy, and blindly ran up against a wall where the 
Birkut at once caught it in its claws. The men immediately 
ran up and averting the Hagle’s head gave it some raw meat; 
while a couple of men, with the greatest difficulty opened its 
claws and allowed the cock to get away. The latter got up 
and shook himself, apparently little the worse of the encounter, 
except in being minus the greater portion of his feathers. 
Passer montanus, Galerita magna, Turtur Stoliczke, Erythros- 
piza obsoleta, Corvus corune, C. culminatus, C. cornix, C. frugile- 
gus, Coleus monedula, Pica bactriana, Otocoris penicillata, Alau- 
dula pispoletta, Circus cyaneus, Otus vulgaris, Tinnunculus alau- 
darius, Motacilla personata, Vanellus cristatus, Actitis ochrophus, 
Anas boschas, Spatula clypeata and Mergus castor are as com- 
mon as during the latter half of last month. Fulica atra seems 
to be getting scarce, while Upupa epops and Sturnus vulgaris 
are decidedly so. The additional birds obtained, or observed this 
month, and not noted in October, are the following :— 
Accipiter nisus and Falco barbarus, neither very numerous ; 
Athene bactriana, common, living in holes of mud banks; Planes- 
ticus atrogularis, also common, feeds on the Jigda or EKleagnus 
berry, and is hence called Jigdachuk; Phasianus Shawi, numerous 
in high grass ; Squatarola helvetica, two specimens obtained ; 
Totanus calidris, tolerably common; Ardea cinerea, Ardea 
alba and Botaurus stellaris, are common; Querguedula crecca 
not numerous ; Podiceps minor and Xema brunneicephala are 
rarely met with. Besides the above I have also got Accentor 
Huttoni_ and Caccabis pallescens ; I fancy the cold must have 
driven these two species down to the low hills, which are near us. 
