110 ‘A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY 
18th.— Tadlik to Kichik Yailak.—Last night the stream was 
much swollen and consequently we started rather late this 
morning. Cold day with dull leaden sky, and rain began 
at 12 o’clock and continued steadily all the afternoon. In the 
first. part of the road I noticed ali the birds enumerated yester- 
day ; then as the valley broadened out and we began to ascend 
to Kichik Yailak I saw Columba rupicola and Montifringilla 
Adamsi. On the broad grassy slopes of our encampment the 
birds I have noticed this afternoon are Montifringilla hemato- 
pygia, Fregilus graculus and Ruticilla erythrogastra, all of which 
are common about. The Kirghiz are encamped here, in their 
felt tents or Akois, on precisely the same ground we found them 
on last year. At 7 o'clock snow began to fall, but did not lie 
on the ground ; Kichik Yailak looks much greener than when 
we saw it before in September. 
19¢h.— Halted to-day at Kichik Yailak. Cold damp weather 
and very cheerless; minimum last night, 32°°5. The tops of 
the grass covered hills around us are shrouded in a dense white 
mist. After breakfast I secured the services of a friendly 
Kirghiz and started up the old side valley in quest of Snow 
Pheasants ( 7. tibetanus?) which I had heard calling. Near the 
camp I saw a Harrier (Circus Swainsont) sailing about, but 
failed to secure it. Soon after getting into the valley I saw a 
number of Podoces humilis running up the hill-side and at once 
started off in pursuit. After having climbed up toa consider- 
able height and shot three of these birds, my attention was 
attracted tosome of our camp ponies which had strayed up 
nearly to the top of the hill while browsing on the grass. There 
was a slight scuffle going on between them and one unfortunate 
beast got a slight kick which caused it to lose its footing on 
the steep and slippery hill, and it came tumbling down, just a 
little to,one side of us. At first the pony pitched sideways on 
the hill, but it soon began to turn somersaults lengthways—its 
head catching the hill side every time, until it reached the bed 
of the valley below. If the poor beast had had as many necks 
as hairs in its mane it must have broken them all in that  terri- 
ble fall,* but strange to say it still appeared to have some life in 
it when the Kirghiz hurried up and converted it into lawful 
food by cutting its throat as promptly as possible. After this 
little incident, I lost no time in getting down to less dangerous 
sort of ground, to the great satisfaction of my Kirghiz, who 
seemed to be greatly afraid that the Yuzbashi would hold him 
responsible in some way for the pony’s death. After shooting 
another Podoces humilis, a couple of Montifringilla hematopygia 
* “ Had he as many necks as hairs, _ , 
He had broken them all down those perilous stairs ! ” InGoLpsBY. 
