On the Vertebrate Zoology of Persia. 97 



of genera and species, perhaps the attractiveness of the idea 

 and tlie ease with which it enables us to dimly uniL'rstand 

 many biogenetic problems permits us to lose sight of other 

 influences more obscure, but of equal importance in the history 

 of life." 



This view of the subject seems to derive still farther 

 support from the geographical and bathymetrical distribution 

 of the species. Without entering into a lengthy discussion 

 of this part of the subject, it may be said that as a rule the 

 more complex species are found in the warmer waters under 

 conditions most favourable to the activity of nutritive pro- 

 cesses. As an example, the very large specimens of 

 O. coinplanata from Fiji reef may be taken. On the other 

 hand, the ancestral form 0. tenuissima still inhabits the colder 

 and deeper waters, retaining the simple characters of its earliest 

 known condition. 



XIII. — Additions to the present Knowledge of the Vertebrate 

 Zoology of Persia. By James A. Mukuay. 



Since the publication of Mr. Blanford's valuable work on 

 the Zoology of Persia (1876), giving a complete list of the 

 animals inhabiting that country^ nothing, I believe, has been 

 published as an additional contribution, except a single paper 

 in the Proc. Zool. Soc. for 1881, which added five species to 

 the already large list of reptiles ; these are Agama jiersica^ 

 Scincns conirostris, Hydrophis temporalis, Gatacldcena dia- 

 dema, and Hydrophis cyanocincta, the first three being newly 

 described species. 



The Kurrachee Museum, having now rather an extensive 

 collection of Mammals, Birds, and Reptiles from Eastern 

 Persia — very kindly made for the institution by Mr. W. D. 

 Gumming, of the Persian Telegraph, during the past three 

 years — and having also acquired a collection, comprising thirty- 

 six species of Reptiles and seven Mammals (also from Persia) 

 — made, it is said, by a member of some foreign exploring 

 commission in 1876-77 — I am enabled, after careful examina- 

 tion of these materials, to add a few more species to the 

 existing knowledge of the Vertebrate fauna of the country. 



For the collection said to be made by a member of some 

 foreign commission, the institution is indebted to Mr. Poss- 

 man, also of the Persian Tclegraj)h. Although this collection 

 dates as far back as 1876-77 the specimens are in an excel- 



