National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

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hunted. We saw some specimens of the wild pig in the thickets on the Fyzabad River, beyond Kol Taylak near Artosh, in the month of February, and found they were coated with a thick layer of soft crispy wool under the long bristles of their ordinary covering. Besides the above, in the hills are found the bear = arik, and the marmot= suyh ûr.

Amongst birds, those deserving mention either on account of their utility or frequency, are the following, viz., the swan = today in Lob, the goose= cczz, the Brahmani duck of India, called anyet, and wild duck =t rdak, in vast numbers and variety on the pools and marshes in all parts of the country. These, with the , crane, heron, peewit, snippets of sorts, and other water birds, all breed here in the summer, and mostly go across the mountains to India on the approach of winter. On our passage across the Karakoram range in October we found several stragglers of these birds frozen to death in the migration ; and at Aktâgh our lamented comrade, the late Dr. F. Stoliczka, rescued a benumbed landrail from immolating itself in our camp fire into which it was struggling its way from the cold shelter of a neighbouring rock, and preserved it instead to adorn the shelves of the Calcutta Museum. At this place, too, I picked up a frozen snipe whose eyes stared from their sockets like bright round pearls—by the congelation of their humours.

The hooded crow=cilacâryha, the rook=carcicâryka, the jackdaw=zépkclza, the magpie= sagkizgkcin, the starling=carâcecchcach, the dove=paklatak, the blue pigeon=coehkil, the horned owl= yapalak, the swallow= kalagkach, the sparrow = cz chcâch,, together with the blackbird, thrush, lark, robin, wren, and a variety of wagtails and finches are common about the settlements, as are their enemies the kestral, harrier, and sparrow hawk.

In the mountains are found the raven= ciczyk n, and the chough, the black eagle=

cczracosh, and the golden eagle= bûryki t. This last is taken from the nest, and trained, for purposes of hunting, to strike the stag, deer, pig, and wolf, and even the bear. Several varieties of the hawk species are trapped and trained for sport; their native names are

carchayhay=falcon (peregrine), lachin, shuncar, turumti, tulak, italyka, and others.

Other characteristic birds of the country are the pheasant= cir ykawul, partridge (francolin) = kiklik, quail = bodna, podoces= cuim saglzazac, snow pheasant= 2zlar, and the florican bustard or obarah = tuyhdarra ; but of this last we saw no specimens. The buzzard is common about the settlements, but I saw no vulture in all the country.

The domestic animals are the ox, horse, sheep, and goat, the ass, the dog, the cat, and the rabbit ; fowls, ducks, and pigeons are also kept ; and the camel, grunting ox or !idle, and the hybrid cow are found mostly amongst the Kirghiz and Kalmyk, and in the southern settlements of the country, where only the mule is abundant ; whilst the dog and the cat are man's companions everywhere.

Oxen are not very plentiful, and judging from the droves we saw, the breed is of inferior size and productive quality ; probably the consequences of a long winter confinement, and scanty pasture at all times. The best milch kine are said to yield from six to nine quarts of milk daily. In the agricultural districts bullocks are used in the plough and as beasts of burthen. And everywhere they supply the butcher's stall with very fair beef.

The horse is raised in great numbers all over the country, and is of a breed peculiar to the country, though very much resembling the ycibi of Afghanistan. Its chief points are short or medium height, round barrel and deep chest, with full quarters and thick limbs. It is inured to carry heavy loads at a peculiar jog amble of about five miles an hour, and is said to be very enduring if not urged beyond its natural pace. This is the common animal - in the possession of nearly every family in the country. It is called topichczc or " roadster," in distinction to the aryluinzczc or " thorough bred," which is either of Andij ân or Turkman breed, and is only used by the wealthy or by the Chiefs. Generically all horses are called at, but they have distinguishing names according to colour ; thus the white horse is called bôz, the chestnut tûriik, the bay childn, the roan chokur, the dun jard, the piebald cola, the brown kok, the grey c2il, and the iron grey carâboz. The tûrûk or " chestnut" is supposed to be the most common and hardy of all. The horse is here used in the plough and in harness as freely as under the saddle and pack, and horseflesh is an article of daily consumption amongst all classes. Mules are not