516 On Birds from the Caspian Sea. 



Sturnus vulgaris caucasicus Lorenz. [ YV. 1903, p. 519; 

 1907, p. IOC] 



Sturnus vulgaris L. ; [B. 266]. 



Two males, March 6 and 12, south coast, Caspian Sea. 



"Plentiful at Meshed-i-Ser, but not very numerous in 

 Mazandaran at the time of year we were there." — R. B. W. 



Pastor roseus (L.). [*B. 267 ; W. 1907, p. 106.] 



<$ . May 20, south coast, Caspian Sea. 



" Large flocks at the date of this specimen on the low- 

 lying grass- and marsh-land near the coast at Resht." — 

 R. B. W. 



Columba palumbus L. [*B. 269. W. 1907, p. 107.] 



Columba palumbus easiotis, nee Bp. [W. 1903, p. 567]. 



$ . March 18, south coast, Caspian Sea. 



" Several large nocks of Wood-Pigeons were seen at Fera- 

 habad and a few at other points along the coast. They were 

 met with again in the oak forest on the hills at 4000 feet, 

 but were not numerous." — R. B. W. 



Phasianus persicus Severtz. 



One male and three females, March 6-12, Meshed -i-Ser, 

 south coast. Caspian Sea. 



Phasianus talischensis Lorenz. 



d . Feb. 16, Miandeh, south coast. Caspian Sea. 



" Pheasants were found all along the coast in the swampy 

 forest and bramble-thickets and in the drier pomegranate- 

 scrub nearer the beach. In the mountains we heard of them 

 as high as 2000 feet, and in some places they doubtless follow 

 the forest up very much higher. They were nowhere plenti- 

 ful and were always difficult birds to get, owing to the almost 

 impenetrable thorn- and bramble-jungle which forms the 

 undergrowth in nearly all the forest on the plain. These 

 thickets, however, serve very effectively in lieu of gamekeepers 

 to preserve the birds — the Persians themselves call them 

 ' the guardians of Mazandaran.' Without them the Pheasant 

 would soon be a very rare bird in the district, owing to the 

 ceaseless persecution of the local ' shikarchis/ We noticed 



