98 A COXTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY 
to the er ops about Yarkand: The barley was cut a week ago; 
the wheat is now yellow, and will be cut in about a fortnight ; 
the Indian corn is about a foot and a half hi¢h; and the. fle 
(grown only for the sake of the oil expressed ‘from its seed ) is 
about nine inches high. Cucumbers are now ripe and in good 
condition; the peas are inferior, small and hard; fields of 
cotton, tobacco, and onions are plentiful about ; and the melons, 
for which Yarkand is famous, are not yet quite ripe. 
15th.—Yesterday we came out to a bagh here N.E. of the City 
and in the evening the Naghmachi or musicians were in full 
force. We were, in addition, entertained with a regular Punch 
and Judy show—everything complete from the ‘call’? down 
to the unfortunate policemen (c (called Osman Bai) who is thump- 
ed and pounded by all the marionettes available. 
This morning I started at 5 a.m. on a shooting excursion, from 
which I did not return until dusk. About six or seven miles 
from the bagh a number of villagers came out to say thata 
wild boar had been seen last night, and so we went in for a 
hunt after the beast. The villagers mustered strong with dogs, 
sticks and montures of sorts, but we searched vainly for our 
boar. At length, greatly to the regret of the Yarkandis—who 
appeared most anxious to get the pig killed, I decided to 
devote my attention to birds. I did not find anything very 
interesting in that line however, for, being in a region of ex- 
tensive swamps and marshes, the principal birds met with were 
Brahminy Ducks, Stilts and Waders of sorts, and thousands 
of Coots. Whatever they may be in structure, these Coots are 
certainly in habit as much water birds as any Ducks. 
In the evening we had more music, and a number of buftonery 
tricks were gone through by some Yarkandis, which reminded 
one strangely of some ‘phases of the burlesques at home. 
28th July— Yarkand.—To-day we had our farewell interview 
with the Dad Khwah, as we leave to-morrow en route for India. 
As this is our last day in this place, J may make a few remarks 
about certain points which I have noted in my diary this month ; 
and give a list of the birds for the same period. 
Owing to the great heat the people now go about very lightly 
clad ; and the children either dispense with ‘clothes altogether, or 
wear a thin cotton robe, open all the way down in front, which 
cannot be said even to save appearances. There is a curious cus- 
tom practised by these people in summer; that of indulging in 
sand baths. Men and women often repair to a place called Kara~ 
kum, west of Yarkand, and there taking off all their cloths, they 
bury themselves in the sand up to the neck and remain in. that 
position for some hours. The practice is supposed to be very heal- 
thy, but I cannot discover exactly in what way. A short time ago, 
