IN THE GULF OF OMAN. 289 



cristataj and a solitary Swallow (Hirundo rustica), there was not 

 another bird to be seen. In fact, the only other living creatures 

 we saw were two species of snakes, the first a very poisonous 

 viper- {Echis carinata) , three of which -we secured ; the second a 

 long thin snake, measuring' about 3| or 4 feet which I could 

 not identify. Two or three species of sand lizard, one of which, 

 a remarkably handsome species, was, as well as I remember, 

 olive brown above, and yellowish white below, with a bright 

 orange stripe extending from head to tail on both sides, and in 

 some specimens exhibited on the lower back and tail as well. 

 Length about 8 or 9 inches. There was a tree lizard on the 

 island also, but we did not secure specimens. The shore was 

 strewn with the dry carcasses of turtle which had been killed by 

 Arab fishermen for the sake of the oil and feeding upon these, 

 when we landed in the morning, were some good-sized rats of 

 a very dark color,which I did not recognise. 



The stench along the beach in consequence was intolerable. 

 We brought specimens of the vipers, one of which measured 28 

 inches in length, on board, and put them with three of the 

 orange-striped lizards into a bottle of spirits, intending to send 

 them to Mr. Blanford for identification ; but unfortunately Cap- 

 tain Bishop neglected to cork the bottle securely, and in a few 

 days it burst, and the reptile portion of our collection was lost. 

 Notes on the two species of birds we found breeding, Larus 

 hemprichii and Sterna bergii, will be found further on. 



Our trip was now virtually over, at least as far as collecting 

 was concerned. We weighed anchor that evening at about 

 7 p.m., reached Ormarra the following morning, and the next 

 day at daybreak we arrived at Kurrachee, terminating as plea- 

 sant a sea voyage as I ever made. 



I must not here forget to express my sincere gratitude to 

 Captains Stiffe and Bishop, and the other officers of the Amber- 

 ivitch, for their extreme kindness and hospitality on board, and 

 for the valuable assistance they offered me in collecting upon 

 every possible occasion from the day we left Kurrachee until 

 the day we returned. 



Had the trip been made in the cold weather, we should, of 

 course, have seen many more species of birds, and probably have 

 secured many more good specimens ; but, considering the time 

 of year at which the excursion was made, and the collection we 

 brought back, viz., 93 eggs and about 30 good skins,, I think on 

 the whole we were very successful. 



82.— Hirundo rustica, Lin, 



Several pairs of the Common Swallow were breeding at Jashk, 

 Persian Gulf, in the verandah of the Telegraph Office on the 



