The district of Lenkoran (2078 square miles), corresponding to the khanate of Talysh, is highly interesting from its physical peculiarities. It is a thickly wooded mountainous region, shut off from the dry Persian plateau by the Talysh range (7000-8000 feet high), and with a narrow marshy strip along the coast. The climate is exceptionally moist and warm (annual rainfall 52 , 79 inches; mean temperature in summer 75°, in winter 40°), and fosters the growth of even Indian forms of vegetation. The iron tree (Parrotia persica, C. A. Meyer), the silk acacia, Carpinus Βetulus, Quercus iberwa, the box tree, and the walnut flourish freely, as well as the sumach, the pomegranate, and the Cleditchia easpica. The Bengal tiger is not unfrequently met with, and wild boars are abundant. Of the 95,482 inhabitants of Lenkoran, the Talyshians (42,999) form the most interesting and aboriginal element, belonging as they do to the Iranian family, and speaking an independently developed language closely related to Persian. They are of middle height and dark complexion, with generally straight nose, small round skull, small sharp chin, and large full eyes, which are expressive, however, rather of cunning than intelligence. They live exclusively on rice. In the northern half of the district the Tartar element predominates, and there are a number of villages (Pravolnoye, for instance, with 2000 inhabitants) occupied by various Russian sectarians.