g2 SOUTH-WESTERN ASIA 



tive of the family, whose main home is America. Like the rest of its kind, this 

 reptile can creep either forwards or backwards with equal ease; it lives in the 

 ground especially in ant-hills, and feeds on insects and worms. 



In addition to the sand-viper, already noticed in the chapter on Southern Europe, 

 the snakes are represented in south-western Asia, southern Europe, and northern 

 Africa by the Egyptian Eryx jaculus, which is sometimes over 30 inches in 

 length. It is variable in colour, though as a rule yellowish with brown or black 

 spots and cross lines ; and it feeds principally on lizards. 



Of the poisonous snakes a few species are found in south-western Asia as 

 well as in Europe and northern Africa. The blind snakes, which differ in several 



/ 





. , K 





«k>£,ifr *~'- h ■'.:: , . 



THE SCHELTOPUSIK. 



points from ordinary snakes, and are remarkable, among other features, for certain 

 small rod-like bones forming the sole vestiges of the hind-legs of their ancestors, 

 are represented by the European blind snake (Ti/phlops vermicularis) in Arabia, Asia 

 Minor, and the Caucasus, as well as in Greece. It is 10 or 12 inches long, and in 

 colour light yellow or light brown above marked with black spots, and white below. 

 While there are no amphibians or fishes specially characteristic of 

 south-western Asia, a few insects are worth mention. Among these 

 is the oleander hawk-moth (DapJtnis nerii), whose wings are often over 4 inches 

 across. In colour the fore- wings are grassy green, marbled and striped with pink, 

 white, green, and violet, and bearing at the base a dark green spot ringed with white. 

 This moth sometimes appears in the south of England. The caterpillar, which has 



Insects. 



