216 COLUBRIDJE 



from Spain (Estremadura, New Castille, Andalucia), 

 Portugal (Alemtejo), the Balearic Islands (Majorca 

 and Minorca), and the island of Lampedusa. In 

 North Africa it is generally distributed from the 

 north coast of Egypt to the Rio de Oro ; in Algeria 

 it penetrates into the northern parts of the Sahara. 

 The specimen figured on Plate XI. is from Algeciras. 



Habits. — Appear to be similar to those of Coronella 

 girondica. Crepuscular in its habits, it is usually 

 found under stones or in burrows in the ground* 

 Unless pursued, when it darts off with great rapidity, 

 its movements are slow. It is very ready to bite, 

 but no experiments have been made on the effects 

 of its poison. The food consists chiefly of small 

 lizards. 



Reproduction. — All that is known on this head is 

 that, according to Doumergue, eggs are laid in July in 

 Algeria. 



Genus TARBOPHIS, Fleischmann 



Maxillary teeth few, anterior longest, gradually 

 decreasing in size posteriorly, and followed, after an 

 interspace, by a pair of enlarged, grooved fangs, 

 situated below the posterior border of the eye ; 

 anterior mandibular teeth strongly enlarged. Head 

 distinct from neck ; eye moderate or rather small, 

 with vertically elliptic pupil. Body moderately 

 elongate ; scales smooth, oblique, with apical pits. 

 Tail moderate or rather short. 



The eight species of this genus inhabit South- 



