BIRDS FROM NORTHERN AXD WESTERN PERSIA. 



879 



Larus argentatus cachinnans. Pall — Herrino- Gull.^ 

 1 2 , Enzeli— 2nd March. 

 In January and February this race of the Herring Gull was very common 

 in Enzeli harbour, and a very few remained through March. After that the 

 species was completely absent, including young birds, all through the spring and 

 summer, and it had not returned when I sailed from Enzeli on 30th October. 

 Larus ridibundus, L. — Black-headed Gull. 



The Black-headed Gull is abundant round fi'csh and salt water at Resht and 

 Enzeh in winter. They were last seen in the third week in March and had not 

 appeared again on 31st October. 

 Larus cnims canus. — Common Gull. 



1 ^, 1 $ , Enzeli and Resht— February. 

 The Common Gull was common at Enzeh, and quite infrequent so far inland 

 as Resht. It was last seen in the third week in March and had not returned 

 by 31st October. Male wing 390, culmen 34 mm ; female wing 340, culmen 30 mm. 

 Larus ichtki/cetu.s, |Pa]l. — Great Black-headed Gull. 



The Great Black-headed Gull is not rare in winter in the less frequented parts 

 of the lagoon, but it is extremely shy and I never obtained a specimen. 

 Sterna tsche^rara. Lepechin. — Caspian Tern. 

 {S. caspia, Pall.) 



Large <iocks of Caspian Terns frequented the sandy shore of the Caspian 

 at Enzeli in the first fortnight of April. I never saw them at any other time. 

 Otis tarda, L. — Great Bustard. 



I saw four Great Bustards, all apparently adult, among liquorice [Gh/cer- 

 rhiza) in the desert at Harunabad on 27th November 1918. 

 Porphi/rio poliocephalus seistanicus Zar. and Harms (1911). — Purple Coot. 

 [P. p. caspius, Hartert, 1917). 



1 5 , loth February — Resht. 

 Zarudnv separated the Purple Coot of Seistan as P. p. seistanicus from the 

 (Caspian bird, and stated that the form from Seistan differs in the paler colour 

 of all parts of its body. Hartert (1917), overlooking Zarudny's description, 

 described P. p. cispius from Lenkoran, but Zarudny's name must stand though 

 his description is quite misleading, for birds from Seistan and the Caspian aie 

 identical. Hartert states quite correctly that there are no colour differences 

 between specimens from India, Seistan and the Caspian litoral : on the other 

 hand the Caspian and Seistan specimens are larger than those from India 

 (the terra typica), and Ceylon, and not only is the vnng longer, but the bill is 

 much more stoutly formed. The ^ving of my female from the Resht lagoon 

 measures 263 mm., that of a female from Lenkoran (Tring Mus.) 260, and a 

 series from Seistan (Tring Mus.) males 277-285 mm., females 258-275. The 

 bill of the Resht specimen measures from the point to the anterior edge of the 

 nostril 29 mm, and to the posterior edge of the shield 63 mm. The species is 

 quite common in the dense reed beds Avhich surround the lagoon at Enzeh. 



Purple Coots of this species are resident in the great marshes which lie on 

 either side of, and between the Tigris and Euphrates in the lower part of their 

 course. A small part of one of these marshes, the Hor Hawezeh, lies in Persian 

 territory. Zarudny tells us that he has heard of the existence of Purple Coots in 

 this place (the "'Chauwizeh oasis"), and that he presumes them to be P. cm- 

 r ulcus. I have a series of these birds from lower Mesopotamia, none of them 

 actually shot on Persian soil, but all of them from marshes which are continuous 

 with the Hor Hawezeh, and they belontr to P. poliocephalus and not to P. ccb- 

 ruleus. They differ from specimens from Seistan and the Caspian, in 

 their smaller size. Dr. C. B. Ticehurst, who is working on the birds of Meso- 

 potamia, informs me that they are inseparable from the typical Indian and 

 Ceylonese race. 



