14 INTIIODUCTOKY' LETTER. 



number of Ophidians, which, belonging always to similar 

 species, have shewn how well this empire has been ex- 

 plored, as far as regards its natui-al history. We })ossess 

 but few serpents from China, Sumatra, Malacca, and in 

 general from the eastern part of Asia. Dr De Witt, es- 

 tablished at Bedford, has presented several to us ; others 

 have been acquired by our Indian travellers. A package 

 sent in 1827 to the Museum of the Netherlands, con- 

 tained the spoils of a considerable number of the species 

 described by Russel. The productions of Ceylon are 

 only known to us by the original specimens in several 

 collections m Holland, and a small collection which we 

 owe to the obliging care of Dr Smith, Director of the 

 South-African Museum. M. Lichtensteix has present- 

 ed to us some species of Ophidians, obtained during the 

 expedition of M. Eversman in Tartary. 



The serpents of Europe have been partly communicated 

 by some of our friends, partly by several travellers, or by 

 the Museum of Vienna : we owe to that establishment 

 the serpents of Austria and Hiuigary; the unfortunate 

 MiCHAELLES scut to US souie Specimens collected in Spain, 

 and the principal part of those that live in Dalmatia, a 

 country since visited by our traveller M. Francis Can- 

 TRAiNE, who, in afterwards exploring Italy, Sardinia, and 

 Sicily, has sent us their productions ; M. Roux has pre- 

 sented us Avitli the reptiles of the south of France, and 

 M, Leni those of central Germany, &c. &c. 



The voyage of M. RiippELL has furnished to our 

 Museum most of the productions of Egypt. Colonel 

 Thembert has brought us several snakes taken in the 

 Barbary States, especially in the neighbourhood of Tunis. 

 An intelligent amateur, M. Clifford, the consul of the 

 Netherlands at Tripoli, has investigated, as a naturalist, 

 the environs of that city, — not very rich, it is true, in the 

 productions of natural history. An msalubrious climate, 

 destructive to most Europeans who \^[sit the coast of 

 Guinea, is the cause why so small a number of objects of 

 natural history are brought to us from our colony, estab- 

 lished on that land of promise ; and it is to Professor 

 EscHRiCHT of Copenhagen that we are indebted for about 



