84 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY 
We passed through a large courtyard into an inner court where 
I found a Birkut, or Golden Eagle, and a Karchighah (Goshawk) 
seated on their perches. Then I entered the room which had 
been prepared for me—a capital place nicely carpeted with a 
good fire burning in the fireplace and the wells decorated with 
stag’s antlers and the inevitable dastarkhwan was brought in, cela 
va sans dire. 
The Panjabashi now wanted me to wait for some trained 
hawks which were expected to come from Igarchi, but as 
the time of their arrival was quite uncertain and I did 
not in the least want any hawks with me, I started off shoot- 
ing outside, where nearly every bit of water was frozen. I 
found hundreds of Ducks and got some fair shooting. One 
Duck that I shot expired before it could be ‘halaled,’ 2. e., have 
its throat cut in the orthodox fashion, and the Panjabashi 
said it was a great pity as it would have to be thrown away ; 
1 consoled him by explaining that its skin would make a good 
specimen for my collection of birds. 
For to-morrow I am promised good sport, Ducks, Hares, 
Pheasants (P. Shaw?) and even wild Boars being mentioned ; 
but I dread the baneful influence of those Goshawks and 
Eagles. ‘ 
4th.— Beshkant.—We started off this morning accompanied 
by a hawking party of five men, headed by the Sirkar, m 
host, carrying two Birkuts (Aquila chrysaetus) and three Kar- 
chighah (Astur palumbarius). As the shooting place was re- 
ported to be some distance off, we rode out of Beshkant. 
This I afterwards found was a great mistake and marred the 
day’s shooting considerably ; for having our horses, we vir- 
tually degenerated into a hawking party. 
The Goshawks were carried by the hawkers on the right 
hand, which was covered by a glove; the Birkut rested on the 
wrist, a thick gauntlet protecting the forearm from the Hagle’s 
claws, and the right hand resting on a crutch fixed to the front of 
the saddle. Of course without this crutch it would be impossible 
to support the heavy Birkut even for a few minutes ; and even 
with this contrivance I wonder how the men managed to carry ° 
the Eagle the whole day long without feeling very tired. All 
the hawkers were mounted on strong ponies. 
At first we passed a clump of big poplars, where I got a 
Woodpecker (Picus leucopterus); a little further on several 
Ringdoves (Turtur Stoliczke) were bagged; for to-day it was a 
case of shooting anything we could find. Near the edge of 
marshy ground we got Anthus aquaticus and Troglodytes palli- 
dus ; the latter called in Turki Bir toghram “a morsel.” The 
next victims were Herodias alba and Ardea cinerea, both of 
