372 Letters, Announcements, ^c. 



viridis, Alcedo bengalensis and Halcyon rudis, extend as far west 

 as Shiraz with little or no variation. A number of the specimens 

 in the collection came from the shores of the Caspian Sea ; but 

 the majority were collected on the main road from the Caspian 

 to the Persian Gulf, in longitude 50° to 5.2° east, and at all 

 elevations from 8000 feet to the level of the sea. 



" Capt. St. John, under whom the Museum collector was 

 placed, informs me that 'on the shores of the Caspian the 

 country is covered with dense semitropical jungle, swarming 

 with Tigers, Pigs, and the Asiatic Cervus (i.e. C.maral); the 

 lofty chain of the Elburz, quite barren on its southern slopes, 

 separates the tableland of Persia from the Caspian. From its 

 watershed to the slopes of the hills bounding the Persian Gulf 

 the country and fauna are identical, long barren valleys, divided 

 by equally barren hills, supporting flocks of Ibex, Moulion, and 

 Gazelle. Most of the birds are from this central plateau. The 

 hills sloping to the Gulf are moderately clad with forest, princi- 

 pally oak, hawthorn, and wild fruit-trees. In the jungles Lions 

 are not uncommon. Below the hills the fauna is more Indian 

 or, perhaps, Scindian.^ " 



The additions to the Aviaries of the Zoological Society of 

 London during the past few weeks comprehend specimens of 

 several new or little-known species of birds. Amongst these 

 may be noticed as of special interest : — a new Lory allied to the 

 Ceram Lory, which Mr. Sclater has named Lorius tibialis ; a very 

 rare Lorikeet {Trichof/iossus mitchelli), of which only one example 

 was previously known ; a pair of the beautiful Goose of the 

 Bolivian and Chilian Andes {Bernicla melanoptera) ; a second 

 pair of the small white Swan of Antarctic America {Cijgnus 

 coscoroba); a pair of Turtledoves from the atoll of Aldebra, 

 north of Madagascar, which appear to belong to a new species 

 of the group allied to Turtur picturatus ; and an Aquila, from 

 Fow-chow, in China, in the striated plumage hitherto usually 

 referred to the young oi Aquila imperialis, but which Mr. Howard 

 Saunders has lately attempted to show must belong to a distinct 

 species. 



