Ornithology of Asia Minor. 263 
of the same formation. The water is certainly remarkably 
cold, and seems to hold plenty of fish. 
A couple of days sufficed to get things in order; and we 
then left Tarsus for Gozna, a village in the mountains, the 
(t yaila 33 or summer-quarters of the richer city-people during 
the pestilential summer heat. The way lies at first parallel to 
the Mersina road along the plain, but soon turns off into a 
country made up of a number of small hills, partly rocky 
and partly earthy. Here the little flats between the hills 
were gay with pale mauve colchicums, and the slopes were 
thickly covered with tall heaths, daphne bushes just coming 
into flower, and myrtles already in bloom. The birds seen 
on the way were principally Larks (Calandra and Crested), 
Chaffinches, and large flocks of Corn-Buntings. A birdcatcher 
whom we encountered had his net full of live Starlings. 
After passing a small stream and a ruined tower the road 
became rougher, and rapidly ascended into a higher country, 
over alternate hills and ravines, both well covered with thorny 
bushes, myrtles, and other evergreens. A few fir trees were 
scattered about; and occasional glimpses were caught of the 
sea on one side and the snow-hills on the other. As evening 
came on. Partridges (Caccabis chukar) enlivened the way with 
their cackling, Jays (Garrulus krynickii) screamed, and num¬ 
bers of Blackbirds and Thrushes fed busily on the sweet 
aromatic myrtle-berries. These berries are by no means bad, 
the white and scarcer kind being, as white fruits usually are, 
much the best. A hunt after a flock of strange-looking birds, 
which turned out to be Bulbuls (Pycnonotus xanthopygius ), 
took up so much time that the last two hours of the way were 
done by moonlight, which made the scenery of the woods and 
great rocky ravines, by which we led our horses, look doubly 
wild and mysterious. Gozna is at a high elevation, and, with 
the exception of the good stone building kindly placed at our 
disposal by Mr. Debbas (American Consul at Tarsus), con¬ 
sists of a number of straggling wooden houses. Its posi¬ 
tion in a draughty gap of the hills is, no doubt, agreeable 
in summer, but makes it any thing but a pleasant winter 
residence. Birds seem to be pretty much of this opinion too, 
t 2 
