364 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1923 



in the number and variety of the species that occur there. But it is 

 in south China that we find ideal conditions for the cold-blooded 

 land vertebrates, and here these animals swarm. The museum of this 

 society contains a very fine herpetological collection, thanks to the 

 energy and enthusiasm of Dr. Arthur Stanley, the recent curator. 

 But it is interesting to note that the greater part of the collection was 

 made in the Province of Fukien, where semitropical conditions pre- 

 vail, vegetation is extraordinarily thick, and plenty of permanent 

 streams occur. In a valuable paper by Doctor Stanley upon the 

 Chinese reptiles in the museum, some 72 species are listed, of which 

 49 have Fukien against their names. This does not mean, however, 

 that they are confined to that Province, for specimens of many of 

 them have been obtained elsewhere as well. 



A glance at this list reveals the fact that of the various forms of 

 reptiles represented in this country, snakes predominate. Fifty-one 

 of the seventy-two species listed are snakes. These snakes range from 

 the monster python, a specimen of which from Fukien measures 20 

 feet, down to the tiny blind snake. The majority of the species are 

 nonpoisonous, but several very deadly forms occur. Amongst the 

 latter are the black cobra, recorded from Chekiang and Fukien, and 

 the terrible Chinese viper (Ancistrodon acutus) , whose poison fangs 

 are enormous. Other poisonous snakes occuring in our region are 

 the sea snakes, which are only to be found in the sea, and have 

 become adapted to a marine pelagic existence by a lateral compres- 

 sion of the posterior part of the body and tail. The nonpoisonous 

 snakes are mostly what are called colubers — grass snakes and water 

 snakes — and are easily recognized by the usually slender bodies and 

 heads. 



Lizards of various kinds are fairly common, amongst the com- 

 monest in the north being the spotted lizard (Eremias argus) and 

 the little gecko, the latter inhabiting the dwellings of man. In the 

 south occur the blue-tailed skink {Eumeces chinensis) and its near 

 relative, the elegant skink {E. eleyans). Another fairly common 

 form is the long-tailed lizard (Tachydromus septentrionalis) . 



Of the turtle family China contains several forms, including the 

 mud turtle, some terrapins, and tortoises. Marine turtles are to be 

 taken at times in the China seas, or are washed ashore occasionally 

 on the southern coasts. 



There is no need to do more than mention the little Yangtse alli- 

 gator here, as we have already referred to it. The only other mem- 

 ber of this family, the Orocodilidce, which occurs in China, is the 

 estuarine crocodile, which is to be found in the rivers of the extreme 

 south. Its scientific name is Crocodilus porosus. The difference 

 between the alligators and the crocodiles, externally, is twofold. 



