SPORT AND SCIENCE ON THE 
collection. This with the antelopes brought our 
collection of mammals up to twelve species. 
On finding that my traps were being robbed of 
their catches, I baited one with the remains of a 
pika, and next day had the satisfaction of putting 
my hands on the robber, a beautiful, white-headed 
falcon. I tried to tame this bird, as I had done a 
young golden eagle we had picked up one day. My 
efforts proved a failure, so at last I gave the bird 
his liberty once more. On another occasion we 
found a sheld-duck in a hole in some rocks. It 
was long past the breeding season, but from 
the down and grass in the hole, we came to the 
conclusion that this was her nest. Subsequently 
we verified the facts that the ruddy sheld-duck 
nests in holes in rocks at no small distance from 
water, while the common sheld-duck nests in 
long burrows in the banks of the lagoons so com- 
mon throughout this country. 
A few birds were added to our collection which, 
however, were in very poor feather. There were 
also some nice butterflies to be seen, amongst 
which was a rather fine swallow-tail. 
While staying with Mr. Larson we had several 
opportunities of watching the Mongol cowboys 
at their work in sorting, catching, branding and 
breaking the wild little ponies in their herds. 
Instead of a lariat or lassoo, the Mongol uses-a 
long twenty-foot rod, little thicker than a fishing 
rod, at the end of which is a looped thong of raw- 
164 
