Vol. 35, pp. 229-230 December 12, 1922 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BiOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



A NEW SNAKE FROM SOUTHWEST AFRICA. 

 BY THOMAS BARBOUR. 



Not long ago Professor Charles Palache brought to the Mu- 

 seum of Comparative Zoology a small but very interesting col- 

 lection of reptiles. They came from Kolmanskop about seventy 

 miles south of Liideritzbucht and from the waterless region of 

 the diamond fields. This desert, called the Nameb, is an arid 

 coastal zone like the Tarapaca or Atacama deserts and likewise 

 owes its extreme aridity to a cold water current similar to the 

 Humboldt stream off the Chilean coast. Oftimes years pass 

 with no rainfall at all but the average, over a period of years, 

 is about 0.5 inches a year. The Nameb is essentially lifeless 

 except that after one of the rare rainfalls reptiles appear for a 

 short time and then retire again for another long period of 

 inactivity. 



Apparently this region was little visited by German zoologists 

 although, on account of the diamond fields, there was some 

 rather extensive geological exploration. 



This collection was made by Dr. Werner Beetz, who not only 

 nursed Prof. Palache through a dangerous attack of typhoid 

 fever but presented him with these specimens as well. 



This novelty with which, therefore, it is a pleasure to asso- 

 ciate Dr. Beetz's name, was found among such rare and little 

 known forms asSepsina weber'iKoux, Condylosaurus subtessellatus 

 (Smith) and Ramphiophis multimaculatus (Smith) and others. 



The genus Tarbophis in which I have included this species is 

 not particularly well defined and may possibly finally be merged 

 with Crotaphopeltis from which it is separated by relatively 

 minor dental character and by style of coloration. No species 

 of the genus has been recorded from the Southwest Protectorate 

 (formerly German Southwest Africa) but the species most 



■11— Pboc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. 35, 1922. (229) 



