(80) 



1 am tliereforo of opinion that three forms of Uromastix acanthi iiia-ua can 

 be distinf^uished in the Algerian Sahara : 



1. Uromastix acanthinurus aciiithinunis Bell {Zool. Jonrn. i. p. 457. pi. xvii. 



1825. — " Africa," exact locnlity unknown !). 

 Distribation : Near Biskra, northwards to El-Kantara (I have not examined 

 specimens from other localities). 



2. Uromastix acanthinurus niyrirenfris Rothschild & Hartert {Xoc. Zool. xviii. 



p. 4G8). 



Distrib. : Mzab country, Ghardaia, Tilrherapt, apparently also Laghouat. 

 (Probably, jndging from the description by Donmergiio in Ball. Sac, Gcogr. Arch. 

 Oran, t. xix.-xxi. p. 109-ln, extending to Ain fSefra.) 



;}. Uromastix arant/ti»ur/is tiit/errimns Hart. 



Distrib.: Fort Miribel to Ain (Juettara (Tadcuiait), ami rocky hills near El- 

 Hadadra, between El-Golea and Ghardaia. 



Tiie statement of the occurrence of any other species of Uromastix in Algeria 

 is apparently erroneous, though Olivier quoted U. Sjjinij/es as being found near 

 Biskra. //. acanthinurus and spinij/es (reclius aegyptiu.t Forsk. 1775). 



The Arab name of Uromastix is '■ Dabb." 



'••. Varanus griseus Dand. 



We never saw these lizards iimong rocks and mountains, nor in the bare 

 sand-dunes, but they were not rare in stony or sandy jiiaius and ))lateaus from 

 Biskra to the platoau of Tademait, south of which we did not observe them. 

 They live on lizards and small nulents, and do not despise large insects, such 

 as beetles and locusts. A small young specimen was caught early in June near 

 El-Alia. One generally sees the " Ouran," as it was called by our Arabs, on 

 the ground, but sometimes it mounts bushes and lower trees. When pursued, 

 these lizards run very swiftly, with the body well raised. Once I found a hole, 

 with the unmistakable traces of a Varanus in front. The Arab who was with 

 me blocked up the entrance, and suddenly a Varanus came rushing at us, hissing 

 and hitting the ground with its tail ; it attacked me at once, and had two bites 

 into my trousers ; it was very amusing in its fury. I expect it had eggs in 

 the hole, l)ut I ha<l no time to dig them out. 



The ''Ouran" is much liked by the Arabs for food, and, indeed, a well- 

 cooked " Ouran " is excellent eating, tasting very much like a good fresh-water 

 fish. As it can bite very hard, the Arabs, when bringing it for sale, as they do 

 ill Biskra, Touggourt, and other places, very often stitch the month together. 



10. Acanthodactylus boskianus var. asper Audonin. 



Arant/ior/acti/liis boskianus tisper, as I should call this form, is ai)parently the 

 desert form of the typical A. boskianus boskianus, inhabiting the Nile delta (cf. 

 Anderson, Zool. of Egijpt, Ueptilia, p. 15(J). 



More or less common in .'semi-desert and sandy tracts from Monlei'ua, south 

 of Biskra, to Touggourt, common between the Oned Nca and El-Alia, about 50 km. 

 south of (ihardaia, N.E. of El-Golea, between El-Golea and the Oned Saret, 

 and not rare on the plateau of Tademait as lar as just north of Ain Guettara, 

 south of which we did not capture it. 



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