Ornithology of Asia Minor. 87 
tract marked as the Plain of Bazardjik, but which actually 
comprises a district much broken up by inferior hills enclosing 
small marshy plains. The probable reason of these errors 
is, that this country, which is still rather unsettled, was, at 
the time when the surveys were made, much more disturbed, 
being then in the hands of independent Dereh Beys—a state 
of things which made mapping difficult. 
Finding little at Marash, except some wonderful Snipe- 
shooting, we took a south-easterly direction to the other side 
of the lake, where we put up with some Kizil-bashes, who, 
in spite of their bad reputation, seemed decent fellows enough. 
A large lynx-like cat (Helis chaus) frequents this locality ; 
and we met with one while crossing over flat rushy ground 
to the limestone hills, which must be surmounted before 
reaching Aintab. “This is a large uninteresting town, lying 
at an elevation of 2700 feet, well built, and surrounded by 
enormous cemeteries. One of our men having caught fever 
in the rice-marshes at Marash, we were compelled to halt here 
for a day or two, noting a few birds, amongst which were 
Rock-Pigeons at the castle, and Egyptian Turtledoves about 
the trees and buildings of the town. From Aintab was 
an easy stage to Arul, where the blue and purple hills of 
Mesopotamia came into view; andthe next day, after passing 
by the large olive-groves of Nizib, we descended by gentle 
slopes to the valley of the Euphrates. Very picturesque are 
the old castle and town of Biledjik, set on the chalky rocks 
and high ground of the opposite side of the river. Very 
quaint too are the clumsy high-stemmed low-sterned ferry- 
boats, which keep up the municipal exchequer by the tolls 
derived from the daily transport of many passengers and vast 
numbers of camels, this being the main line of traffic between 
Mosul and Aleppo. 
Taking up our quarters in the house of a Turkish gentle- 
man, whose most considerate hospitality made our stay very 
pleasant, we made several short excursions up and down the 
river. Early as it was (February 14), some of the larger Birds 
of prey (Haliaetus albicilla, Aquila bonellii) had long begun 
breeding. The nests of the former contained two, and even 
