PKEFACE. Vll 



range given for certain of the rarer species is in many cases 

 derived. 



For permission to utilize many of the blocks prepared 

 for the ' Fauna of British India/ which has added greatly 

 to the value of the present work^ the Grovernment of the 

 Federated Malay States is indebted to the Secretary of 

 State for India ; a few illustrations are derived from 

 previous publications of Mr. Boulenger, while the remainder 

 have been specially prepared. 



Acknowledgments must be made to all those who by the 

 gift of specimens or otherwise have aided in the preparation 

 of this work, amongst whom Dr. J. D. Gimlette and 

 Dr. A. G. H. Smart, of the Kelantan Medical Service, must 

 be specially mentioned, the large and excellently preserved 

 collections of snakes presented by these gentlemen to the 

 British Museum having greatly helped to elucidate the 

 distribution of many of the species. Thanks are also due 

 to Dr. R. Hanitsch, of the Baffles Museum, Singapore, for 

 information regarding the collections under his care. 



The large collections made by Capt. S. S. Flower, and 

 presented by him to the British Museum, supplemented by 

 his excellent papers, have been of the greatest help to the 

 author in the preparation of this work. 



In conclusion, it may not be amiss to indicate to those 

 specially interested in the groups with which this volume 

 deals certain problems to which their attention may be 

 profitably directed. 



Such problems are : — 



(i.) The occurrence and distribution in the Peninsula 

 of the Marsh Crocodile {Crocodilus pulustris) 



(p. 5). 



