Page:Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet vol 2 (1876).djvu/52

32 difference we made this time was in not crossing the Kara-narin-ula, but keeping the whole way at the foot of these mountains. After entering the valley of the river, we passed three days at a place called by the Mongols Kolo-sun-nur, where rice-fields are cultivated by Chinese, who irrigate them by means of artificial canals leading from the Yellow River. On this flooded land we counted about 30 kinds of birds, chiefly belonging to the orders Grallatores and Natatores, of which we had seen none on the dry steppes of Mongolia. Even here these birds were not numerous; the best time for their migration had passed by, and only a few lingered behind the rest. Our ornithological studies this spring were so far unsuccessful, and the only observation, and that of a negative kind, which we were enabled to make was that birds of passage shun the waterless deserts of Mongolia.

Our occupations were now varied with a little fishing. The carp (Cyprinus carpio) spawn early in May, and every morning and evening large numbers might be seen disporting themselves in the shallowest parts of the flooded fields. Here was an opportunity not to be lost for satisfying our craving for a fish diet. We first pulled off our boots, and,