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Mr. H. F. Witherb v on Birds from the 



The journey undertaken by Col. Bailward and Mr. Woosnam 

 on this occasion was made between February 12th and 

 May 20th, 1907. They proceeded along the south coast of 

 the Caspian Sea from Resht to Bundar Gez on Asterabad 

 Bay, thus passing through the provinces of Gilan and 

 Mazandaran. From Bundar Gez they struck south across 

 the Elburz Mountains to Tehran, passing Mount Demavend. 

 From Tehran they proceeded along the highroad back to 

 Resht, down the great valley of the Sufid Rud. 



The collection is especially interesting as shewing a very 

 sharp distinction between the Avifauna of the Persian 

 Plateau and that of the Caspian Provinces. Although this 

 distinction was clearly pointed out by Blanford (in his 

 * Eastern Persia '), it is, nevertheless, still more clearly 

 demonstrated by a deeper study of nearly allied races. 

 Taking the more sedentary birds, we find the following 

 closely allied forms divided by the Elburz Mountains : — 



Caspian Rkgion. 

 Syrnium aluco aluco. 

 Dendrocopus major palzami. 

 Dendrocopus minor danfordi. 

 Gecinus viridis viridis. 

 Cinclus cinclus caucasicus. 

 Sitta europcea ccesia. 

 Sitta neumayeri neumayeri. 

 Parus major major. 

 Pants lugubris hyrcanus. 



Persian Plateat. 

 Syrnium aluco sancti-incolai. 

 Dendrocopus major syriacus. 

 Dendrocopus minor morgani. 

 Gecinus viridis innominatus. 

 Cinclus cinclus persicus. 

 Sitta europcea persica. 

 Sitta neumayeri tschitscherini. 

 Parus major blanfordi. 

 Parus lugubris dubius. 



A number of European birds also migrate to the Caspian 

 provinces in winter, and do not seem to penetrate the 

 mountain - barrier, while the generally more European 

 character of the birds of this region as compared to those of 

 the Plateau is very marked. 



As to where the dividing-line lies, Mr. Woosnam remarks : 

 " So soon as the northern afforested slopes of the Elburz 

 range are passed we come quite suddenly into the dry 

 barren rocky country typical of the central and southern 

 plateau of Persia. Immediately all the plateau birds so 

 familiar in the Zagros Mountains and elsewhere appear/' 



