THE BIRDS OF SARDIS, ASIA MINOR. 103 
April Tth.— Very much warmer weather, and the planes are 
budding fast. The Red-rumped Swallows are evidently going 
to build on the tombs hill. From there I had an excellent 
view of a Roller (Coracias garrulus). It flew from tree to tree 
with a jerky flight up and a sharp turn, showing a beautiful 
turquoise blue. When perching, the light blue is still most 
conspicuous. 
There were two Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters (Merops persicus) 
hopping and creeping about in some low bushes. The white 
and black markings on the head show well, as does also the 
gorgeous, bright green of the back. 
April 8th.—I climbed the Acropolis hill at dawn and had a 
beautiful view over the shoulder into the Tabakchai valley, 
where one could see clouds of steam rising from the sulphur 
baths. Many Wheatears were singing—a song not unlike a 
Corn Bunting’s. Several Cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) were calling, 
at first in the distant woods, and then all around me. One 
settled on the Acropolis wall. These were the first and only 
Cuckoos I saw or heard. 
I was puzzled yesterday by a small bird with a blue-grey 
head and rufous markings. It was Cretzschmar’s Bunting 
(Hmberiza cesia) ; I saw it well to-day as it sat on a low bush 
and uttered a short ‘‘ peep.” High up were a pair of noisy 
Jays (Garrulus krynickii is the Asia Minor species). Lower 
down I watched a pair of Sardinian Warblers (Sylvia melano- 
cephala) skulking among the bushes. Another pair I took for 
Riippell’s Warbler (Sylvia rueppellt) but could not swear to 
them, though the white streak going back from the beak and 
other plumage point decidedly towards that bird. 
April 9th.—We ascended the course of the Pactolus. The 
valley narrows and the river pours through a rocky gorge. 
There are traces of quarrying for white marble, probably cut 
for the temple at Sardis. The lower gorge was full of House 
Martins and Swallows, above were Crag-Martins (Cotile rupes- 
tris). These look much darker than Sand Martins. 
I just got a glimpse of a Dipper (Cinclus cashmiriensis), a 
bird whose absence hitherto had puzzled me. 
We were some fifteen hundred feet above Sardis, and the 
vegetation had changed. Arbutus andrachne with smooth, 
