the lakes boast all the usual kinds of
water-fowl, as herons, ducks, snipe, teal, etc.; the gardens and groves
abound with blackbirds, thrushes, and nightingales; curlews and peewits
are seen occasionally; while pigeons, starlings, crows, magpies, larks,
sparrows, and swallows are common. The francolin is hunted by men on
foot in the country between Shiraz and Kerman, and is taken by the hand
after a few flights. The oyster-catcher, which is a somewhat rare bird,
has been observed only on Lake Neyriz. The bustard occurs both in the
low plain along the coast, and on the high plateau, where it is captured
by means of hawks. The pheasant and the heath-cock (the latter a black
species spotted with white) are found in the woods near Failyun. The
sand-grouse and the pin-tailed grouse belong to the eastern portion
of the country, the portion known anciently as Carmania or "the hot
region." The other kinds are diffused pretty generally.

The shores and rivers of Persia Proper supplied the people very
plentifully with fish. The ancient writers tell us that the inhabitants
of the coast tract lived almost wholly on a fish diet. The Indian Sea
appears in those days to have abounded with whales, which were not
unfrequently cast upon the shores, affording a mine of wealth to the
natives. The great ribs were used as beams in the formation of huts,
while the jaws served as doors and the smaller bones as planking.
Dolphins also abounded in the Persian waters; together with many other
fish of less bulk, which were more easy to capture. On these smaller
fish, which they caught in nets, the maritime inhabitants subsisted
principally. They had also an unfailing resource in the abundance of
oysters, and other shell-fish along their coast--the former of excellent
quality.

In the interior, though the lakes, being salt or brackish, had no
piscatory stores, the rivers were, for the most part, it would seem,
well provided; at least, good fish are still found in many of the
streams, both small and large; and in some they are exceedingly
plentiful. Modern travellers fail to distinguish the different kinds;
but we may presume that they are not very unlike those of the adjoining
Media, which appear to be trout, carp, barbel, dace, bleak, and gudgeon.

The reptiles of Persia Proper are not numerous. They are chiefly
tortoises, lizards, frogs, land-snakes, and water-snakes. The
land-snakes are venomous, but their poison is not of a very deadly
char