Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 1 (1877).djvu/144

118 The author's systematic catalogue principally relates to mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibia, 347 species and 2051 specimens of which were obtained, exclusive of collections of individuals of the two latter groups previously examined and described by Dr. Anderson, of the Indian Museum, Calcutta. Mr. Blanford's scientific descriptions are supplemented by many valuable and interesting remarks by Major St. John, relative to the habits of the various species he observed during his prolonged residence in Persia, an advantage from which Mr. Blanford was necessarily debarred. He modestly states that even the present cannot pretend to be other than a very imperfect list of the fauna of this vast—and to a great extent, unexplored—country, the northeastern portion of which is still almost a terra incognita, whilst there is much to be learned respecting the animals inhabiting the plains extending from the Tigris to the Zagros mountains, the western slopes of which are covered with forest, as are also the southern shores of the Caspian. Prior to the present expedition our knowledge of the Zoology of Persia proper was extremely limited, the explorations of Pallas and Eichwald having been restricted to the shores of the Caspian, whilst those of Gildenstadt were principally confined to the Caucasus, and by far the most important, although still meagre, information was to be derived from the "Noté di un viaggio in Persia" (Milan, 1865), by Professor De Filippi, of Turin, who accompanied an Italian embassy in 1862. In this work a list is given of 30 species of mammals, 167 birds, 39 reptiles, 3 amphibia, and 22 fishes; but the investigations of Major St. John and Mr. Blanford have increased this catalogue to no less than 89 mammals, 384 birds, 92 reptiles, and 9 amphibia! The number of species is not surprising when we consider the great variation in soil, climate, and temperature to be found in a country like Persia, which consists to a great extent of desert plateaux of varying and often considerable elevation, for the most part destitute of vegetation, whilst on the shores of the Caspian is a moist forest region, and a thick belt of woodland also extends from the Zagros mountains to Shiráz; and again towards the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean the vegetation becomes more tropical, though rarely luxuriant. Mr. Blanford analyses the character of the distinctive fauna of each of the various regions, and sums up that of the Persian highlands as being Palæarctic, with a great prevalence of desert forms, remarking