INTRODUCTION. 



XI 



A few of those cliaracteristic of the Persian fauna or belonging to the 

 Palaearctic region are ^clon familiaris, Biicanetes githagineus, Emberiza 

 huttoni, Melanocorj/phn himaculata, Corviis umhrinus, Alcedo isjnda, 

 Hypocolius ampellnus, Oriolus galbnla, 8axicola albonigra et worio, 

 Hypolais ohsoleta, Oarrulua ah'icapillus, Gerthilaudadesertorum,Pterocles 

 Uchtensteinii et coronata, Puffinus persicus and Larus gelastes. 



There are also a few which extend their range north only into the 

 Punjab, and are not found either south or east of the Province; such are 

 Gypaetus harbatus, Falco babylonicns, Falco cesalon, Aquila chrysaetos, 

 fJalicetus albicilla, Merops apiaster, Coracias garrida, Picvs sindianus, 

 Saxicola leucomela, Lusciniula neglectus et inelanopogon, Anthus blaclc- 

 istoni, Palumbus casiotis, Pterocles alchata, Caccabis chuJcar, Ammoperdix 

 bonhamii and Vanellns vulgaris, while those peculiar to Sind are, as 

 far as present information extends, Pyctoris griseigularis, Blanfordius 

 striatidus, Phylloscopus sindianus, Passer pyrrlionotus, Serinus pectoralis 

 and Podiceps nigricollis. 



Reptiles are not numerous in Sind, and if the species of Hydrophidce 

 are excluded, there are not many which are venomous. As far as they 

 have been collected, species of all four orders occur, viz : — Ghelonia, 

 Sauria, Ophidia and Amphibia, the number of genera and species be- 

 longing to each of these being comparatively as many as occurs in other 

 parts of India. Climatal conditions ai'e rather favourable to these, and 

 there are many species, especially among the Lacertilia, which are not 

 only peculiar to Sind, but interesting, as being forms ranging into the 

 Palfearctic region ; others are of a wide range, and a few are peculiiir to 

 the Province; in fact, the Palaearctic and oriental genera are here inter- 

 mingled. Among lizards, the genus Psammosaurits is a North African 

 form ; Scincus, a North African and Arabian, also Seps and Agama ; all 

 these occurring in the Southern Pala3arctic region. Of 21 families of 

 the Ophidia, represented in India, 12, or more than one-half, occur in 

 Sind, and, except the Crotalidoj, all the venomous forms occur. There 

 are as many species of Lizards as Snakes, and nearly twice as many 

 Chelonians as there are Amphibians, The total number of species of all 

 the different orders and families is 97 : of these — 



