( 83 ) 



Ghardai'a, bat that was the only specimen we came across. It was beantifnlly green, 

 but after being kept for two days in a bag and equally long on a picture in my 

 bedroom — kept dark for most of the day ou account of the flies — it became dark 

 brown. Chamaeleons are very common near El-Kantara, where they occur in 

 wonderful colours, some of the colorations being apparently never described. 



18. Coelopeltis moilensis (Renss). 



Culuber moi/eiisis'Revias, Mus. SeiKkenb, vol. i. p. 142. pi. vii. (1834) ; Coelopeltis iiwilensis Boulenger, 

 Cat. Snakes Brit. J/«.s. vol. iii. p. 143 ; Anderson. Znol. Egypt, Rept., p. 292. pi. xl. 



Large specimens of this snake were caught N.E. of El-Golea and at Fort 

 Miribel. They did not appear to be fierce and irascible, but the Arabs dreaded them, 

 while I did not know they were poisonous. Another large snake of this kind was 

 shot in the Oned Mya, but too much damaged for preservation. In the stomaclis I 

 found small mammals. 



19. Psammopliis schokari (Forsk.). 



Cnlicber schokari Forskal, Di-srr. Aiiiiii. p. 14 (1775) ; Psamiiinpliis schukari Boulenger, Cat. Snakes 

 Brit. Mils. vol. iii. p. 157 ; Anderson, Znnl. Eijijpl, Rept. p. 295. pi. -xli, .xlii. 



In-Salah and southern Oaed Mya. 



20. Cerastes vipera (L.). 



Coluber Vipera Linnaeus. Si/st. Nat. ed. x. vol. i. p. 210 (1758—" Habitat in Aegypto "). 

 Cerastes ripera Anderson, Zool. Egypt Rept. p. 327. pi. xlvii. 



This beautiful but dangerous snake appears to be rare in the country traversed 

 by us in 1912. Though we were specially on the look-ont for it, I caught only a 

 single specimen in the sandy belt about 50 km. north of El-Golea. The trace of it 

 was plainly visible and leading to a clump of grass, under which the snake was 

 hidden in the sand, only the snout and eyes being visible. The colour was much 

 brighter and more reddish than in the plate in Anderson's work. The stomach 

 contained a yellow wagtail. 



21. Cerastes cerastes (L.). 



{Cerastes cornutus auct.) 



Coluber Cerastes Linnaeus, Sijst. Nat. ed. x. vol. i. p. 217 (1758 — "Habitat in Oriente"). (The 

 name " cerastes " of 1758 has of course priority over " coraii(«s," whether the translation of 

 Hasselquist's voyage of 1762 or ed. xii. of the Syst. Nut. 17C(i, is adopted.) 



This very poisonous snake is common in the Sahara ; northwards at least to 

 El-Kautara (where it must be rare, though one was seen in 1908) and Biskra 

 (where it is not very rare). VV'e found it, however, most common in the bed of the 

 Boutiiern Uued Mya, where live were seen in one day. One was disturbed in cam[i, 

 another out of a clump of grass, one was found by Hilgert coiled up close to a freshly 

 killed wagtail, the others were found lying in their usual position, concealed iu the 

 sand, iiiostly close to a little linsii or clnmp of grass, or near a stone, only part of 

 the head being visiljlc When approached they ilart against tiie enemy, but I have 

 not seen them reaching any fartlier than about one foot, though Bruce said 



