Caspian Sea and the Elburz Mountains. 195 



Dendrocopus major syriacus (H. & E.). [B. 130. 

 W. 1903, p. 554; 1907, p. 79.] 



A male from Tehran in April. 



In Persia this form appears to be confined to the Plateau, 

 and is replaced in the Caspian forests by the dark-breasted 

 D. m. pcelzami. Mr. Woosnani says (in lift.) that a Great 

 Spotted Woodpecker was to be found high up in the 

 mountains, but as he obtained no specimens it is impossible 

 to say exactly where is the dividing-line of the two forms. 



Dendrocopus minor danfordi (Harg.). 



3 . Feb. 23; ? . March 29, S. coast, Caspian Sea. 



" The only two seen, but probably not rare in the Mazan- 

 darau forests." — R. B. W. 



These agree well with the type and are unlike the Lesser 

 Spotted Woodpecker of S.W. Persia (cf. ' Ibis,' 1903, p. 555), 

 which has been separated by M. Zarudny and Baron London 

 under the name Dendrocopus minor moryani (Ornith. Jahrb. 

 xv. 1904, p. 227). 



Gecinus viridis viridis (L.). 



Four from the S. coast of the Caspian Sea in February 

 and March. 



" Many were to be seen and they were still more often to 

 be heard in the forest, but they were not so numerous as the 

 Great Spotted Woodpecker, and in the mountains only a few 

 were noticed." — R. B. W. 



These are typical examples of the Green Woodpecker and 

 are dark and richly coloured compared to the pale G. v. in- 

 nominatus of the Plateau (cf. ' Ibis/ 1907, p. 79). 



Lanius excubitor homeyeri Cab. 



Hartert, Vog. pal. Fauna, p. 420. 



$ . March 30, S. coast, Caspian Sea. 



This is a pale form of L. excubitor. 



The Great Grey Shrikes which I obtained in S.W. Persia 

 (cf. c Ibis/ 1903, p. 533) have been determined by Dr. Hartert 

 as follows : — ^ Kazerun, March 31, and J Konar Takhta, 

 March 28, as L. e. aucheri : <$ Bushire, March 22, and $ 

 Nudan, April 16, as L. e. pallidirostris. 



