Persia is another remote region generally associated with the idea of Oriental and almost tropical forms, but which yet undoubtedly belongs to the Palæarctic region. Mr. Blanford's recent collections in this country, with other interesting information, is summarised in Mr. Elwes's paper on the "Geographical Distribution of Asiatic Birds" (_Proc. Zool. Soc._ 1873, p. 647). No less than 127 species are found also in Europe, and thirty-seven others belong to European genera; seven are allied to birds of Central Asia or Siberia, and fifteen to those of North-East Africa, while only three are purely of Indian affinities. This shows a preponderance of nearly nine-tenths of Palæarctic forms, which is fully as much as can be expected in any country near the limits of a great region. _Reptiles and Amphibia._--The climatal conditions being here more favourable to these groups, and the genera being often of limited range, we find some peculiar, and several very interesting forms. _Rhinechis_, a genus of Colubrine snakes, is found only in South Europe; _Trogonophis_, one of the Amphisbænians--curious snake-like lizards--is known only from North Africa; _Psammosaurus_, belonging to the water lizards (Varanidæ) is found in North Africa and North-West India; _Psammodromus_, a genus of Lacertidæ, is peculiar to South Europe; _Hyalosaurus_, belonging to the family Zonuridæ, is a lizard of especial interest, as it inhabits North Africa while its nearest ally is the _Ophisaurus_ or "glass snake" of North America; the family of {205}the scinks is represented by _Scincus_ found in North Africa and Arabia. Besides these _Seps_, a genus of sand lizards (Sepidæ) and _Agama_, a genus of Agamidæ, are abundant and characteristic. Of Amphibia we have _Seiranota_, a genus of salamanders found only in Italy and Dalmatia; _Chioglossa_, in Portugal, and _Geotriton_, in Italy, belonging to the same family, are equally peculiar to the sub-region. _Freshwater Fish._--One of the most interesting is _Tellia_, a genus of Cyprinodontidæ found only in alpine pools in the Atlas mountains. _Paraphoxinius_, found in South-East Europe, and _Chondrostoma_, in Europe and Western Asia, genera of Cyprimidæ, seem almost peculiar to this sub-region. _Insects--Lepidoptera._--Two genera of butterflies, _Thais_ and _Doritis_, are wholly confined to this sub-region, the former ranging over all Southern Europe, the latter confined to Eastern Europe and Asia Minor. _Anthocharis_ and _Zegris_ are very characteristic of it, the latter only extending into South Russia, while _Danais_, _Charaxes_, and _Libythea_ are tropical genera unknown in other parts of Europe.