573 



EEPORT ON A COLLECTION OF MAMMALS MADE 

 B^ COL. J. E. B. HOTSON IN 8HIRAZ, PERSIA. 



By 



MaJ. R. E. ChEESMAN, M.B.O.U., F.R.G.S. 



The date of this collection is February 10th to August 15th 

 1919. 



A short notice of a subsequent Shiraz collection from Colonel 

 Hotson, including a description of a New Vole by Mr. Oldfield 

 Thomas, will be foiind at the end of this paper. 



The mammals inhabiting Shiraz and the immediate neighbour- 

 hood are of exceptional interest, especially so at the present moment, 

 as they form a link between two recently acquired collections,, 

 from the East and West, that from Baluchistan by Hotson and that 

 from Mesopotamia by the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force. 



I have had great pleasure in working out this collection. 

 Mr. Oldfield Thomas and Mr. R. C. Wroughton have given me 

 every assistance in the unravelling of the various problems. The 

 paucity of different species to be found in one place is experienced 

 by all who have collected in Persia and Mesopotamia and even the 

 dense forest region between the Elburz Mountains and the Caspian 

 has proved no exception. Not only are the animals scarce, but they 

 are difficult to trap, being usually untempted by ordinary baits. 



Of the 13 species obtained, two of the bats have proved new and 



have be?n given subspecific rank : Myotis myotis risorius and 



Rhinolophus ferrum-equinum ircmi. In each case they are well marked 



pale desert forms, their colour resembling the dove grey of the 



Indian ring dove, Turtur risonus, after which the Myotis is named. 



The altitude is the same for nearly all the specimens, when the 

 elevation is not given, it is that of Shiraz, 5,200 feet. 



Very little previous collection in Shiraz has been undertaken. 

 Inl862 De Filippi obtained from the Marquis Doria a few specimens 

 from Shiraz which he mentions in " Viaggio in Persia " although 

 he personally travelled only in Northern Persia, around Kazvm 

 and Teheran and the Caspian region. 



In 1871 Dobson wrote a paper on a few specimens of anmials 

 which had been obtained in Shiraz. 



In 1872 Dr. Blandford and Major St. John passed througli 

 Shiraz and made collections the results of which are recorded m 

 " Eastern Persia," written by the former. _ j t i 



Since then our knowledge of the mammals has increased by only 

 one small addition, made by Mr. II. F. Witherby in 1902 dunng 

 an expedition which reached Shiraz, but was mamly occupied ^Mt.. 

 ornithology. 



