1108 
ZOOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN THE PERSIAN 
GULF AND IRAQ. 
BY 
Captain R. E. Chessman, f.e.g.s., c.m.z.s., 
.\fter what has been, I fear, a long silence, yon will be interested to hear a short 
account of the itinerary and work of the Society’s Collector, Mr. La Personne, 
kindly placed at the disposal of Sir Percy Cox and employed by him on Zoologi- 
cal investigations in the Persian Gulf. His Excellency’s first intention was to 
obtain a man to preserve specimens of Palmarctic birds that during the spring 
migration might be expected to be killed at the hghthouse on Quoin Island, a 
small rock which geographically seemed well placed to catch a migration stream 
passing through Arabia and crossing the Persian Gulf to Persia. It was finally 
decided however that the Tanb Island Lighthouse would be more suitable as, 
being on an island some 6 miles in circumference, the land could be worked for rest- 
ing birds in addition to those attracted to the light. The choice was fortunate 
for that reason. Not a single bird was obtained at the hghthouse itself and it 
may confidently be stated that, probably owing to the clear atmosphere, hght- 
houscs in these regions may be neglected as far as migration is concerned. Every 
assistance to the project was given by the Director of the Royal Indian ]\Iarine, 
Bombay, and Captain Poyntz, D.S.C., Commander of the R.I.M.S. “Nearchus” 
and his officers. La Personne arrived at Basrah in February 1921 to join the 
“ Nearchus ” where by chance I was able to meet him and travel with him on 
the vessel’s journey of inspection of the Gulf Lighthouses and finally leave him 
Avith the lighthouse staff on Tanb Island to be called for on the ship’s next visit 
a month later. While waiting at Basrah for the departure of the “ Nearchus ” 
we stayed at Zobeir, the desert town about 12 miles away. It was possible to 
introduce La Personne to several of the Palsearctic groups of migrants in the 
field with which of course he was then unacquainted, such as Chats, Warblers, 
Shrikes and Wagtails. The “ Nearchus ” sailed from Basrah on March 8th, 
1921, and we reached Tanb Island on March 14th. The birds obtained were 
mostly migrants which breed on the Persian plateau and northwards, and winter 
in Africa, such as Bimtings, Cuckoo, (C. canorus) Redstarts and IVheatears and 
three breeding birds, PhoRton, Latiius and Charadrius. 
Two species of hedgehog which have proved new to science and a quantity 
of reptiles and Crustacea w'ere also brought back. On La Personne’s return from 
Tanb Island Sir Percy Cox decided to take the opportunity of attempting to 
clear up the status of the breeding Terns, Pelicans, Flamingoes and Crab Plovers 
which are knowm to frequent the islands at the head of the Gulf in the neighbour- 
hood of the Khor Abdullah and Klior Musa. A considerable amount of material 
has been from time to time brought from this locahty, but in some instances 
deductions had been based on baskets of unidentified eggs brought by Arab 
fishermen. 
La Personne’s instructions were to bring back nothing but clutches of eggs 
accompanied by the skin of the parent bird shot on the nest. 
His headquarters were estabhshed at Fao on jNIay 10th, 1921, with Mr. Hatton 
in charge of the Telegraph Department, and the various islands were \-isited by 
trips made in an Ai’ab dhow. The results of these journeys were eminently 
satisfactory and authentic breeding records were secured of the Slender-billed 
Gull (Larus gcfastes). Lesser Crested Sea Tern (S'terna media), Caspian Tern {S. 
ca-spia). White cheeked Tern (S. albigena henghalensis), Lesser Sooty Tern 
( Sterna ancethetus ), Gull Billed Tern (Sterna anglica). Crab Plover ( Dramas 
ardeola) and Reef Heron (Demiegretta asha) among others. 
According to vague local information obtained in 1921 the Pelican and 
Flamingo had finished breeding, and not -without some difficulty La Persomie 
