OF EASTERN TURKESTAN. 1h 
? Yarkand, 15th July.—Length, 13; expanse, 29-5; wing, 
9°8; tail, 7:1; tarsus, 1:25; bill, from gape, 0°8; weight, 7 oz. 
Bill dark blue at tip, light bluish grey near cere and below ; 
cere and orbital space, greenish yellow; irides, dark brown; 
legs and feet, yellow; claws, black. 
The Kestrel is a permanent resident in Eastern Turkestan ; 
it is common throughout the plains during the whole year 
and I have observed it in the hills of the country also, up to 
an elevation of about 12,000 feet. It feeds chiefly on mice, 
lizards and grasshoppers; the Yarkandis add frogs, and in 
winter, sparrows. In the stomach of a Kestrel killed at 
Yepchan in October, I found, among other things, a rat’s tail 
6 inches long. This species seems to breed in April, May and 
June; towards the end of the latter month great numbers 
of the young birds are captured by the Yarkand boys. In the 
hills the nest is placed in the crevices of rocks, but in the 
plains on high “ ¢erek’” (poplar) trees, near villages. The Turki 
name for the Kestrel is Kurganak ; it is considered quite worth- 
less for hawking and is never trained. 
21.—Astur palumbarius, Zin. 
6 Kashghar, 14th December.—Length, 21; wing, 13:2; tail, 
10; tarsus, 2°95; bill, from gape, 1:42. Bill black, lower 
mandible light horny at base; legs and feet, pale greenish 
yellow; claws, black. 
Lhe Goshawk is the bird most commonly used for hawking 
in Kashgharia, for which purpose it is highly esteemed; the 
Turki name for the species is Karchighah. It is said to live 
principally near the hills inthe neighbourhood of Aksu, and 
only visits Yarkand about the beginning of winter when it is 
supposed to be following the water-fowl then migrating towards 
Hindostan. The Karchighah is caught by means of a trap, 
to which a live pigeon is usually attached as a bait; the price 
of the trained bird varies from fifty. to a hundred t¢angas (ten 
to twenty rupees). 
I saw a good deal of hawking as practised in Kashgharia 
and may here say a few words about the subject. The hawkers 
are always mounted on the strong ponies of the country, and 
carry the Goshawk on their gloved right hand. A leather thong 
is attached round the neck of the bird, the end of which 
hungs down over its breast. This thong is seized by the 
forefinger and thumb of the hawker’s right hand, when he is 
about to throw the bird off; the object of this being to keep 
the Hawk’s body well forward, and so prevent it from being 
tilted backwards, by the resistance of the air, when it is cast 
at the quarry. The Goshawk seems to have no chance of 
Q 
