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ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



(ie-Capello is excessively nervous and vicious, 

 while the King Cobra is calm and bold, pos- 

 sessing a treacherous degree of hostility that 

 makes it the most dangerous of all deadly 

 reptiles. 



Another famous and very dangerous snake 

 of India and the Malay Islands is the Tic Po- 

 longa or Russell's \'iper {J^ipcra russclli). 

 We have exhibited specimens of this snake, 

 Taut the species is a delicate one and short- 

 lived. The proposition of obtaining further 

 specimens of the poisonous Indo-Malayan 

 reptiles is now a serious one. There appears 

 to be a rule among the English lines of steam- 

 ers prohibiting these animals being carried. 

 With the coming spring it is our intention to 

 enter into negotiations with the Indian Govern- 

 ment in order to obtain additional specimens. 



The great Kabara-Goya, or Giant Lizard, 

 sometimes called the Monitor, (raraiiiis sal- 

 vator). is an Indian reptile that attracts im- 

 mediate attention. (Jur seven-foot specimen 

 is large and powerful enough to kill and 

 swallow a young gazelle. It is one of the 

 largest of its kind to be exhibited. 



.\FRIC.\N REPTILES. 



Africa is the home of the most malignant- 

 looking serpents of the world. Some of these 

 reptiles might be described as all head, fangs 

 and stomach ; yet Nature has seen fit to decor- 

 ate the hideously formed bodies of these deadly 

 creatures with the most dorgeous hues and 

 patterns. Prominent among the big vipers, 

 with their dagger-like fangs, are the Gaboon 

 \"iper. (Bitis gabonica), the Rhinoceros 

 \'iper, {B. nasicornis), and the Puff Adder, 

 (B. arictans). All of these serpents figure in 

 our list of specimens. The strange little Cape 

 \'iper, (Causus rhombcatus). and the pallid- 

 . hued desert vipers — the Cerastes, ( I 'ipcra 

 cerastes), the Yellow Viper, (]'. lipera), and 

 the Pigmy \^iper, {V. era), have been shown 

 in the Reptile House with surroundings to 

 represent their native wilds. Several trans- 

 parencies made from photographs of the sterile 

 regions have been fitted against the backs of 

 the cages containing the desert snakes. Of the 

 African cobras we have exhibited the famous 

 Asp, {Naja haje), the Black Cobra, (A', inc- 

 lanoliiica). and the Ringhals, Ring-Xecked 

 Cobra, {Scpcdon Iiacinachatcs). Representa-, 

 tives of several species of the African pythons 

 are at all times in the Reptile House. 



The reptilian fauna of Africa is at all times 

 strongly represented in the Reptile House. 

 The tortoises are attractive owing to their 

 large size, variability of structure and bold 

 markings. We have the Abyssinian Tortoise, 

 (Test lido calcarata). (as heavy as sixty 

 pounds), the Leopard Tortoise (T. pardalis), 

 the Geometric Tortoise, (T. geometrica), the 

 Radiated Tortoise, (T. radiata, of Madagas- 

 car), and two species of the Hinge-Backed 

 Tortoises, {Cini.vys). 



Three species of African crocodiles have 

 been shown our visitors. These are the Nile 

 Crocodile, (Crocodilus niloticus), the gavial- 

 like Sharp-Nosed Crocodile, (C. cataphrac- 

 .tus), and the Broad-Nosed Crocodile, (Osteo- 

 laeiuiis tetrapis). Of the lizards we have had 

 an elaborate series, including an aggregation of 

 the strange forms of the Sahara. These range 

 in size from the powerful Egyptian Monitor, 

 (I'amiuis griseiis). to the several species of 

 Spike-Tailed Lizards, (Uroiuasti.v and Xo- 

 iiiinis) and the agile Agamas down to the 

 Skinks with their highly polished scales, the 

 latter ranging in form from creatures with 

 flattened toes to support them on the desert 

 sands, to worm-like forms with a sharp snout 

 that literally swim into the yielding soil at the 

 slightest alarm. Four species of the genus 

 ■Chainaeleon have been exhibited. 



REPTILES OF .\USTRALIA. 



At the time of preparation of this article 

 a fine series of Australian reptiles is on ex- 

 hibition. This includes five species of lizards 

 and eight species of snakes. The Frilled 

 Lizard, ( Chlamydosaitrus kingii ) , with its 

 dilatable neck-flaps, the two species of the 

 Giant Skinks, (Cyclodes). and Cunningham's 

 Skink. (Egeniia cniiningliaini). show the 

 eccentricities of the Australian lacertilians. 

 while the Black Snake, {Psendcchis porphyri- 

 acits), the Tiger Snake, (Brachyaspis curttis), 

 and the Gray Death Adder, (Deiiisonia su- 

 pcrba). illustrate how remarkably inoffensive 

 is the demeanor of the many deadly serpents of 

 that country. The Diamond Snake, (Morelia 

 spilotes), and the Carpet Snake, (M. varie- 

 gata). are both on hand as illustrations of the 

 prettily marked pythons that range over a con- 

 siderable part of Australia. 



EUROPE.\N REPTILES. 



Our collection of the turtles and tortoises, 

 the lizards and the snakes of Europe is very 

 full. In fact, these reptiles are as well repre- 

 sented here in the Park as in the continental 

 zoological gardens of Holland, Belgium, 

 France and Germanv. 



