PREFACE. 



Since long a work on the vertebrate fauna of Dutch East 

 India has been wished for by many. 



The credit of first planning the publishing of such a work 

 is due to the Koninklijke Natuurkundige Vereeniging in Neder- 

 landsch Indie. 



But we are under deepest obligation to Prof. M. Treub, 

 the never to be forgotten director of 's Lands Plantentuin at 

 Buitenzorg, who was able to obtain in 1909 as head of the 

 department of agriculture, governmental aid for the publication 

 of a work on the fishes of the Indo-Australian Archipelago. 

 Two volumes of this ichthyological series have already appeared, 

 while a third volume is in preparation. 



With these volumes the foundation was laid for a faunistic 

 work of wider scope. 



Our recognition of indebtness has to include Dr. J. C. 

 KONINGSBERGER, director of 's Lands Plantentuin at Buiten- 

 zorg, who, like his predecessor is very much interested in the 

 continuation of the series of volumes on the vertebrate fauna 

 of the Indo-Australian Archipelago. He managed in 191 2 to 

 get the aid of the government for the publication of a work 

 on the Reptilia of the Indo-Australian Archipelago. 



The undersigned was trusted with the arrangement of the 

 work, whilst Miss Nelly DE Rooij, Phil. Dr. was willing to 

 undertake the heavy task of writing the book. She certainly 

 was entirely qualified for this labour, for during the years, 

 that she was assistent at the Zoological Museum of Amsterdam, 

 she occupied herself specially with the study of Reptilia and 

 reported on the herpetological material of various expeditions 

 to different parts of the Archipelago. 



It proved to be desirable, on account of the extensiveness 

 of the material, to devide the work on the Reptilia in two 

 volumes. The first volume, which is hereby offered to those, 



