THE ZOOLOGY OF BEITISH INDIA. 309 



coast of the Peninsula. As types characteristic of this region, Dr, 

 Giinther notices the Saurian genus, Jlromastixy and the Ophidian 

 form, Zamenis. A little further west in Afghanistan, we find very- 

 few reptiles identical with those of India proper, but mostly referable 

 either to purely African or to Central- Asiatic types. Much, however, 

 remains to be done before our knowledge of this part of the E-ep- 

 tilian Fauna of Asia can be deemed complete. 



On the other hand, the reptiles of the great Gangetic plain are 

 well known, and form part of a distinct herpetological province, 

 which also includes the upper part of the valley of the Indus, and 

 extends northward to the Himalayas, where, at an elevation of about 

 4000 feet, it gradually loses its peculiar characters. Southwards, 

 this Fauna is considered by Dr. Griinther to extend along the western 

 shores of the Bay of Bengal, to about 20° JN". L. Although several 

 forms are peculiar to this province, such as the well known G-avial 

 of the Ganges, and certain species of JSmys, its features are mostly 

 of a plain and rather uniform character. The Eeptiles found within 

 its limits are principally common species, ranging over a greater or 

 smaller part of other provinces. Dipsas may be noted as a charac- 

 teristic genus of snakes, five species having been already recorded as 

 found within the limits of this province. 



The Eeptilian Fauna of the Himalayas which begins to replace 

 that of Bengal at an elevation of about 4000 feet, is well marked by 

 many new species and genera peculiar to it. For what we know of 

 its features we are mainly indebted to a previous publication by Dr. 

 Giinther in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society for I860,* 

 where he has taken advantage of a collection submitted to his 

 exainination by Messrs. yon Schlaglntweit to compile a complete 

 account of all that has hitherto been done towards the working out 

 of this peculiar Fauna. The reptiles of the Khasya hills, as has 

 been shown by Dr. Giinther in the same paper, must be referred to 

 the same Fauna, and probably also those of Upper Assam, although 

 we as yet know too little of the latter country to form any definite 

 conclusion upon them. 



The belt of land along the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal 

 and round the Malayan Peninsula to Siam has, on the other hand, 

 been well explored, and shows a Fauna as well distinguished as 



* Contributions to a Knowledge of the Reptiles of the Himalaya Mountains, 

 By Dr. A. Giinther. F.Z.S , 1860, p. 148. 



