Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911 edition. Excerpt:...several times, but very often they were obliged to let them run, because the animals pulled and tore so to get free, and then they had to use the gun instead of their hands. No Bokhara man condescends, however, to eat the hare, and my servants very unwillingly prepared this animal for me, looking at me with great disdain on my eating it. The wild boar has been dealt with above; he lives everywhere on the rivers, where he can hide in jungle or among rushes, from the uppermost Vakhan to the Aral Lake; only the beasts of prey keep his increase in check; for the population does not touch him. The wild fowl is abundant both in species and individuals. I shall only enumerate the most remarkable. The large brown eagle has been mentioned above; especially in Pamir (High) and Karategin huge specimens are seen. Also the royal eagle is seen now and then in these mountains. Likewise vultures, but not in great numbers; travelling in all directions through the country I saw but a few now and then. On the upper Gund river I saw a couple of black vultures with white heads, but I have not seen any of this kind elsewhere in Bokhara. Falcons and hawks in large and small species are found everywhere in great numbers, and the latter are much used in hawking as will be seen later on. Crows with red and black bills live both in the mountains and on the plain, often in quite uncomfortable numbers in the oases where the large poplars and willows are full of their nests, and where their harsh voices at times render all conversation impossible. The beautiful blue and red roller is especially numerous in the level country where her harsh shrieks contrast strongly with her beautiful coat. The common magpie is found everywhere from the treeless limit down into the level...