28 
Mr. C. G. Danford on the 
siderable quantity of clear watery-looking fluid was observed 
to flow from the mouths of some specimens shot in the middle 
of the day, and far from any known drinking-place. A live 
female, which was sent to us from Tarsus, had also a peeuliar 
power of inflating the skin of the erown and back of the head, 
whieh gave it a somewhat crested appearance. It was a very 
tame bird, and eat freely, but, having received breast-injuries, 
did not live long. 
The Turkish designation of this bird seems to be of wide 
acceptation and considerable age, as the name Baghirtlak 
appears to have been applied to an allied member of the family, 
probably Syrrhaptes paradoxus, in the time of Marco Polo. 
164. Ortygion coturnix (L.). 
Observed in the interior. 
165. Caccabis CHUKAR (Gray). Keklik (Partridge). 
Very common in the Taurus. No varieties were detected, 
the Cilician-killed birds being identical with specimens ob¬ 
tained at Rhodes and Smyrna. As the natives cannot with 
their long flint-guns shoot any thing flying, they generally take 
out with them a tame caged Partridge, who calls the wild birds 
to the neighbourhood of the place where the patient gunner 
sits enseonced among the stones and bushes. One fine old 
sportsman was very sueeessful in bagging thes^ birds. When 
he had found the whereabouts of a covey he advaneed upon 
them under cover of a cotton screen, roughly painted with 
large spots. The Partridges, mistaking this for a leopard, 
ran elose together, so that many fell a prey to the voluminous 
contents of the old man^s piece. The Chukar is a great 
runner, and it was quite comieal to see their quiekness and 
coolness in running among the bushes before a dog; some¬ 
times they will stop, look round, cackle, and be off again, to 
the great indignation of the animal in pursuit. The male is 
considerably larger than the female; a full-grown bird of the 
former sex weighs 1^ lb. That we should never in any part 
of Asia Minor have ever met with Perdix cinerea appears very 
^ See Prejevalsky, vol. i. p. 28. Marco Polo (Yule), 2nd edit. vol. i 
p. 265, & ref. 
