( 84) 



they conM jump to the lenu;th of tliree feet ; stories of tboir sjiringint,' to even 

 greater distances can hardly be credited, though it is )»robaljle that tliey can reach 

 as far as their own length. Stories are tohl of death resulting from the bite of these 

 vipers, but I have not been able to learn of an authenticated case. The native name 

 is " Icfa," the accent being on the first syllable, which is short. In the stomachs of 

 not loss than seven specimens during the first days of March wc foniul yellow 

 Wagtails {Motocilla jiacu thunberi/i) and ('hifTchall's (/Vij///o6voy«M colli/bitn), in one 

 both species together. The stomachs of the others were empty. 



'Z'i. Bufo viridis Lanr. 

 Not rare at Ghardaia. 



~3. Rana esculeuta saharica Bunl. 



Frogs were very numerous in the "lake" at El-Golea, and in the ditches of 

 the Tidikelt oases called Igosten and In-Salah. I brought home series from both 

 places ; and Mr. ]5onlenger kindly gave me the f<illnwing description of them, as 

 they belong to a new form. 



" Uniia esciilenta, tar. saharica. 



"Agrees with the vnr.n'i/ikair/n in the small size of the inner metatarsal tubercle, 

 but differs in the shorter tibiae, whicli do not overlap when placed at right angles to 

 the body. The tibio-tarsal articulation reaches the tympanum or the eye. Measure- 

 ment of the eight largest specimens • : — 



"Colour olive, with or without blackish s))ots ; a liglit vertebral line rarely 

 present. 



" This variety approaches one from Persia described as var. sumna {Ann ()'• Mag. 

 N. H. 7. xvi. Nov. l'.»U6)." 



* 1. Length in milliuielrcs from snout to vent ; 2. Icngtli of tibia (in the Uesh) ; 3. length of foot 

 4. lengtli of inner toe ; 5. length of inner metatarsal tubercle. 



