Never mind the scorpions

The full title of this volume is "The Journal of Oman Studies special report. The scientific results of the Oman Flora and Fauna Survey 1975". It was published by the Ministry of Information and Culture in the sultanate of Oman, and contains both a portrait and a foreword by Sultan Qaboos.

In 1975, a group of scientists working for the sultan carried out a survey of the proposed Jabal Akhdar National Park and the Jabal Aswad Tahr Reserve. Apparently, the Jabal Akhdar has a unique fauna due to a cooler climate than the rest of Arabia, and the presence of perennial water. Entirely new species or species new to the region were discovered. The book itself is essentially a description of various animal specimens collected by the expedition, where the specimens were found, discussions about the habitat, comparisons with other part of Arabia, etc.

This is not for the general reader, but rather a "catalogue" for future reference. The butterflies are illustrated on colour plates, but otherwise the photos are black-and-white. I didn't really mind: some of them show scorpions! My sympathy for the "Arab boys" who collected a Nebo hierichonticus at An Nid in Jebel Akhdar "under stones" at 2,500 feet back in 1975. There is also an extensive chapter on plants and vegetation types of the Oman mountains. My library copy of this book also includes an insert, a map of the proposed Jabal Akhdar National Park.