The Caspian red deer is now known to science as Cervus ele phus maral, the type locality being the Caspian provinces of Persia. Of the axine deer and the fallow deer mentioned by Blanford no specimens have been forthcoming for many years.
A roe has been found to occur sparsely in the lower slopes of the Zagros in Southern Kurdistan, and in the neighbourhood of Kermanshah. This deer is distinguished from other known mem bers of the genus Capreolus by the cold-grey coloration of its winter coat, and has accordingly been described as a distinct species (Cervus capreolus coxi), the nearest allied species being the roe-deer of normal dark colour found in the mountains of Talish and Mazandaran (C.C. armenius). Apart from the species referred to above the following occur in a wild state, in suitable localities : ibex, moufflon, wild ass, leopard, lynx, brown bear, hyaena, wolf, jackal, hog, badger, fox, hare, porcupine, polecat, weasel, marten. Lastly, Persia boasts an indigenous cat, with a world wide reputation. From it with careful breeding spring the beautiful creatures familiar as "Persian Cats." In the domain of ornithology, over 400 species and races of birds are known in Persia. Since Blanford wrote his work much has been done both by British and Russian ornithologists. Zarudny, Witherby and Buxton in Persia and Cox and Chees man in the Persian gulf have given a comprehensive account of the birds in those regions and have added largely to Blanford's list. Persia is essentially Palaearctic in its fauna and flora, but its Ayes display a slight infiltration from the Oriental Region and perhaps one or two relic species from the Ethiopian Region, namely Hypercolius ampelinus and Acrocephalus griseldis. Within itself, Persia shows many marked differences in its Avian popula tion. The Elburz mountains appear to have developed slight differences among the birds which inhabit them, and in many cases those living on the damper northern slopes differ from the same bird when living on the dry southern slopes. Again those birds living in South-west Persia, within any species, show marked differences from those living in the arid desert regions of East Persia, the latter country together with its birds more closely resembling conditions usual in Central Asia north of the Oxus. Of game birds (Tetrogallus), pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), black partridge (Francolinus), chukor (Alectoris graeca), the see-see or sand partridge (Ammoperdix), and Indian grey-partridge (Francolinus pondicerianus) occur in those parts of the country suitable to their habits. In winter large numbers of wildfowl, woodcock and snipe visit the country. Flamingoes and pelican breed on the northern shores of the Persian gulf. The dryness of the Persian climate favours the rearing of poultry which are of good quality, especially the turkey which can be seen in huge droves and can be purchased for comparatively small sums.
The fish principally caught along the southern shore of the Caspian are : the sturgeon,"sagmahi," literally "dogfish," for which the word is also used (Acipenser ruthenus and A. huso) ; sheat fish or silure, "simm" or "summ" (Silurus glanis) ; salmon, "azad mahi" (Salmo salar); trout, "maseh" or "qizil" (Salmo trutta); carp, "kupur" (Cyprinus ballerus and C. carpio) ; bream, "subulu" (Abramis brama); pike-perch, "mahi-sufid" (Percy lucioperca or Sandra lucioperca). There is also a herring which frequents only
the southern part of the Caspian, not passing over the shallow portion of the sea from Baku eastwards : as it was first observed near the mouth of the R.Kur it has been named Clupea kurensis. Our knowledge of the freshwater fish is meagre.