648 MR. H. J. ELWES ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL [June 17, 



ford, a list, which, though not complete, is a very great advance on 

 any thing hitherto published, and includes about 180 species of land 

 birds. To these I have added about 20, which are noticed in Phi- 

 lippi's * Viaggio in Persia ; ' and though Mr. Blanford had not at the 

 time I saw his list determined the species of many of his birds, yet 

 in the present instance the genera are quite enough to show the cha- 

 racter of the fauna. It shows that 127 Persian species are found in 

 Europe ; 37 are allied species belonging to European genera ; 15 are 

 species of N.E. African type; 3 are species of Indian type, viz. 

 Malacocercus, Chatarrhcea, and Otocompsa ; 7 are species of Central- 

 Asian type, viz. Carpodacus, Metoponia, Erythrospisa, Tetraogallus, 

 Rhodopechys, and Phasianus. 



Arabia. 



The greater part of Arabia probably belongs to the Palaearctie 

 region ; but as we know nothing whatever of the interior, it is quite 

 possible that in the mountain-region of the south-west some Ethio- 

 pian forms may occur. The cultivation of the coffee-tree proves 

 that there must be a region very different in climate and vegetation 

 from the coast ; and it is to be hoped that some enterprising traveller 

 will ere long make us better acquainted with what must be an ex- 

 tremely interesting country. 



At present less is probably known of the birds of Arabia than of 

 any equally extensive region on the globe. 



Palestine. 



Of Palestine I need say but little, Canon Tristram having already 

 so well described the birds of this country. By his computation 

 (P. Z. S. 1864, p. 456), of 322 species noted in Palestine, 260 are 

 included in the European lists; 31 are common to Eastern Africa, 

 and are chiefly desert species of Nubia and the Sahara; 11 are of 

 Eastern or Northern Asia ; 4 are Gulls and Terns of the Red Sea ; 

 27 are peculiar to Palestine and adjacent countries. 



The most remarkable birds included in Canon Tristram's list are : — 

 Ketupa ceylonensis (which, unless a straggler, must surely be found 

 in some part of Persia), Ixos xanthopygius, Crateropus chalybeus, 

 Nectarinia osea, Amydrus tristrami, Bessonornis albigularis (also 

 found at Smyrna and in Persia), Caccabis heyi, and Struthio camelus. 



Of Asia Minor it is still less necessary to speak. We know but 

 little it is true ; but there can be no doubt that the birds are very 

 similar to those of Turkey in Europe, though a few, such as Tetrao- 

 gallus caucasicus, here find their western limit. 



Siberia. 

 Siberia now claims our attention ; but though it occupies a very 

 large surface on the map, the country is chiefly remarkable for the 

 scarcity of birds in most parts of it. Pallas, Middendorff, Radde, 

 and Schrenck are the authors whose writings comprise nearly the 

 whole of our knowledge of Siberian ornithology ; but though the 

 country can only be said to be partially explored, it is not likely that 

 many new species remain undiscovered. 



