84. Mr. C. G. Danford on the 
The low hills of Nur Dagh, a little to the south, are re- 
ported to hold plenty of Fallow deer, and the jungle growths 
by the riverside afforded abundant evidence of the existence 
of many pigs. 
After passing Yilan Kalessi (Castle of the Snake) the road 
cuts off a bend, again striking the river at Yersofat, which 
here turns off to the north, its course being marked by large 
beds of reed and tamarisk. As far as the Djerid villages ex- 
tends a flat open country, peopled by Kurds, Circassians, and 
Turkomans, whose habitations are, for the most part, miserable 
reed-built huts. Antelopes (Gazella dorcas) and ¥rancolins 
abounded; and where there was a pool it was sure to swarm 
with Ducks (Anas boscas, A. clypeata, A. crecca) and Waders 
(Recurvirostra avoceita, Himantopus melanopterus, Totanus 
ochropus, &c.). 
A short day’s march from Djerid is Osmanieh, where we 
spent about a fortnight, and were much surprised at the 
paucity of birds in so good-looking a locality. At the back 
of the village are the wooded heights of the Giaour dagh, 
whence descend some quick clear streams, which, after travers- 
ing a narrow tract of bushes and stones, are either taken up 
by irrigation or lose themselves in the large reed-beds. The 
little Drymeca gracilis was here common, as was also the 
Chiff-chaff (Phylloscopus collybita)—a ubiquitous winter re- 
presentative of the Warblers. Of Buntings there were Hm- 
beriza cia, E. scheniclus and E. miliaria, the first named 
being the most common throughout the country. On the 
streams we picked up Cinclus aquaticus, not so dark-breasted 
as in the Taurus, Acredula tephronota, and a few other well- 
known species. Francolins swarmed, especially near culti- 
vated ground, where they might be seen in the morning 
flying off into the reeds like Pheasants into a well-stocked 
English cover. Among those shot was an isabelline variety 
of the female; and another great excitement was a hunt 
after a strange-looking bird, which turned out to be an 
albino Magpie, dirty white in the general plumage, with a 
smoky-coloured head and much-abraded tail. The best spoil 
of Osmanich, however, was not ornithological, being a fine 
specimen of the leopard (Felis pardus), to obtain which was 
one of our principal objects in visiting these mountains. 
