795 



NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF SNAKES 

 FROM PERSIA. 



BY 



Major F. Wall, I.M.S., C.M.Z.S. 



Our Society is indebted to Lieutenant A. T. Wilson (32nd Sikh 

 Pioneers) for a most valuable and interesting donation of snakes col- 

 lected by him in Persia. 



The collection includes 50 specimens, comprising 15 distinct species, 

 no less than 3 of which are new to science. In three other instances 

 the habitat previously recorded has been considerably extended, 

 viz., Contia decemlineata, C. coronella, and Zamenis gemonensis. 

 Mr. Millard has very kindly given me the privilege of classifying 

 this collection, and making the following remarks upon the specimens 

 included. 



Lieut. Wilson says : 



" The snakes sent to the Bombay Nat. Hist. Society for identifica- 

 tion were collected at a place known as Maidan Mihaftan 30 m. E. 

 of Shushtar in S. W. Persia (see sheet 72. S. W. Asia . 8 m. = 1"). 

 It is a typical spot in the narrow belt of low hills which intervene be- 

 tween the Zagros mountains and the vast flat plains of Persian Mesopo- 

 tamia. The zoological types in this belt are distinct from those of 

 Persian Mesopotamia, and closely allied to those of the Zagros moun- 

 tains. Practically treeless, with a total rainfall of 7' 7 , all of which falls 

 between November and March and destitute of water except in a few 

 favoured spots, it is deserted by man in summer, the nomad 

 tribes moving to their summer quarters in the Zagros at the 

 end of March. Large birds are rare, as also is the mongoose ; 

 field mice and locusts ar9 extremely common— a state of affairs 

 favourable to reptiles. From May to July snakes abound every- 

 where, but are seldom seen after July. 



The district is extremely hot in summer, the average maximum 

 shade temperature for June, July and August being over 11 T 



7C » 



