^9l/] BARBOUR — REPTILES FROM SINAI AND SYRIA 91 



Rhynchocalamus melanocephalus (Jan). 



" Taken from beneath a stone on a hillside in rather damp ground, 

 among the ruins of Petra, about a hundred feet from the regular 

 camping place. Ground color with a slight salmon tinge. Only 

 one seen." (Mann's notes). 



It agrees exactly with Tristram's figure (Fauna and Flora of 

 Palestine, 1884, pi. 16, fig. 1). In life it was pinkish gray above, 

 slightly more pinkish beneath. Top of head and nape deep glossy 

 black, upper lip and rostral shield ivory white. Boulenger in the 

 Catalogue of Snakes (II, p. 246) considers this species an Oligodon. 

 In view, however, of its totally and radically different type of colora- 

 tion and isolated habitat, it seems hardly possible to believe that 

 this location of the species is correct. I may add that a merging 

 of Holarchus and Oligodon is probably more advisable than includ- 

 ing this species in the even thus enlarged genus. 



Psammophis schokari (Forskal). 



A common sand snake. Specimens were preserved from Feiran, 

 Sinai, and from Petra and x\kaba, Ai*abia. 



Echis colorata (Guenther). 



This beautiful, delicately tinted sand viper was met with first 

 at sea level near Akaba, Arabia, and again at Wady Kerak on the 

 high, broken, stony plateau east of the Dead Sea. Both specimens 

 were preserved. 



Cerastes cornutus (Linne). 



Taken from the plateau east of the Dead Sea. Brought in by 

 an Arab at el Kerak. It probably was caught in one of the valleys 

 below the town. 



I submit here the following observations, made while looking 

 up the early history of this species. Coluber vipera was described 



