184 NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE XXI. 1914. 



A beautiful spof is the plantation just behind the Arab village, planted to 

 prevent the sand-dunes overwhelming the village and town. At the time of onr 

 visit it was full of flowers, the fragrant smell of the yellow flowers of Elaeagniis 

 angusti/oUus and of the pink bloom of Melia azederach filling the air, while 

 Bee-eaters, Goldfinehes, Turtledoves, Rnfons Warblers, Ilippolais, and a number of 

 migrating birds enlivened the bushes and trees. 



Much of our time in Ain Sefra was taken up with egg-hunting, and we were 

 successful in getting clutches of eggs of Rhamphocor>j» clot-bey, Oenanthe deserti, 

 and other less rare species. 



An interesting feature was the rich reptile-life at Ain Sefra. The variable 

 and beautiful Aynma hihrotiii was common, while it is entirely absent from the 

 eastern parts of Algeria, though it occurs in Marocco and among the rocks of 

 the plateau of Tademait in the central Western Sahara. This lizard was seea 

 everywhere in the hammada, and up to at least 1200 m. on the Djebels Aissa 

 and Mekter, also on walls in the Arab village. Cham%eleon vulgaris was not 

 rare near the town, and Vromtstix was very common among rocks and stones. 



In 1912 {Nov. Zool. xviii. p. 468) we separated under the name Vromastix 

 acanthi minis nigrirentris a western subspecies of Spine-tailed Lizard, differing from 

 the specimens found near Biskra, which we took to be typical U. a. aeaiitliimirug, 

 in the adult males being from neck to tail of a bright yellowish green, some- 

 times golden green, and the underside black or dark lead-colour, often spotted 

 with cream-colour, while females and young males, though generally of a brighter 

 colour, are not distinguishable from typical acanthinuruK. In 1912 Hartert con- 

 firmed the bright yellowish green colour and black underside of all adult males 

 he saw at Ghardai'a, while he discovered a third race, in which the old males 

 are black above and below, in the rocky mountains along the valley of the Oued 

 Mya, and north of El-Golea {Nov. Zool. 1913, p. 79). 



In 1913 we found Uronasti.r commOn among the rocks near Ain Sefra, in 

 S.W. Algeria, especially at the foot of Djebel Aissa. We brought home si.Kteen 

 specimens, which we consider to belong to U. a. nigriventris. That the Ain-Sefra 

 specimens belonged to this race we had already concluded from Professor Dou- 

 merque's description in Bull. Soc. Gcogr. Arch. Oraii xi.\.-.\.\i. pp. 109-10 (cf. iVo». 

 Zool. XX. p. 80). 



Our Ain-Sefra specimens are coloured as follows : 



1. c? ad. Upperside: Head black with greenish yellow patches above the 

 eyes : neck to tail golden green with a few small black spots. Underside : Mostly 

 lead-black, but throat and sides of breast with but!" spots. 



2. (J ad. Upperside as in No. 1, but not quite so greenish, more yellowish. 

 Underside buff with a great amount of black patches and spots. 



3. S ad. Upperside as in No. 1, but with larger black spots. Entire under- 

 side blackish lead-colour. 



4. J. Not quite as large as the others, uj)perside as in No. 1, but with a few 

 more spots. Underside lead-black with buff spots and patches. 



5. 0, 7. Males, but one-third to one-fourth smaller tlian 1, 2, and 3. Upper- 

 side yellowish green with numerous black spots, larger than 1, 2, and 3. Underside 

 blackish, with none or a few small light spots. 



8, 9, 10. Younger males. Uppersides mixed green and blackish. Underside 

 buff with blackish or dark grey patches and spots. 



11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. Females, at least three not fully grown. Upperside 



