Ornithology of Asia Minor. 83 
Sailing from Rhodes December 28, we arrived at Mersina 
on the morning of the 30th, and left the same day for Adana. 
With a culpably weak-minded reliance upon official state- 
ments, we travelled in arabas (covered carts), and not close 
to each other—the result being that though we ourselves and 
a large sum of money intrusted to our care reached our desti- 
nation safely, though late, one of our men arrived wounded, 
and many of our effects never came at all, having been requi- 
sitioned on the way by a gang of Arabs, who, with much good 
sense, improved so excellent an occasion. Such a loss occur- 
ring at the outset of the journey was discouraging, and neces- 
sitated a week’s stay at Adana to repair damages. Now the 
tailors of that town are not so very bad; but the bootmakers, 
though they showed considerable aptitude in copying the 
solitary boot recovered, had no good leather. Nor are there 
any scientific-instrument shops where to replace a lost aneroid; 
so that the heights given in this paper are merely guesses, 
guided by certain leading elevations laid down in the 
maps. 
About the town are orchards and vineyards, the resort of 
Quails, Woodcocks, and Francolins ; but the latter are most 
numerous in the large grass and reed-covered tracts by the 
banks of the Sarus. This river bounds the town on its 
eastern side, and is crossed by a many-arched bridge, dating 
from Roman times. Over this bridge lies the way to Missis, 
distant some six hours’ journey, through a bare, flat, uninter- 
esting country ; and at that place is a somewhat similar struc- 
ture, which spans the Jihan (Pyramus), a deeper, slower- 
flowing stream than that of Adana. 
This river, so quiet near its outflow, we were again to see 
in its headlong course through the wild gorges of the Taurus, 
and finally to track to its birthplace in the high plateau 
beyond. In the meantime our road lay along its left bank, 
among thorn- and mpyrtle-thickets, where Bulbuls sang 
and Spanish Sparrows congregated, while the more reedy 
patches were haunted by Kingfishers (Alcedo ispida, Ceryle 
rudis, Halcyon smyrnensis), various Herons, and a few 
Ducks. 
G2 
