258 HISTORY OF THE EUROPEAN FAUNA. 



the European border into Russia. It interbreeds 

 in Siberia with C. caniceps^ an East Siberian 

 form. 



A few instances of Reptiles and Amphibia with a 

 similar range will show that the Oriental migration 

 was not confined to the higher vertebrates. 



Two species of the genus Eremias (fodarcis] occur 

 in South-eastern Europe. This is a genus of Lizards 

 with rather a wide distribution, ranging from Central 

 Asia to South Africa southward and China eastward. 

 Altogether there are twenty-four species, two of which 

 just enter Europe; and of the rest half are Asiatic 

 and half African. Even if the genus were of African 

 origin, it is extremely unlikely that the Asiatic 

 species came by way of Europe. We may assume, 

 therefore, with a fair degree of probability that the 

 two European species wandered westward along with 

 the Oriental migrants. 



The genus Ablepharns belongs to a family of 

 Lizards in which the legs are either very fully 

 developed, or quite absent as in the Slow-worm 

 (Anguis fragilis). It is an ancient genus, having a 

 wide range from Central Asia to Australia on the one 

 hand, and to South Africa on the other. One species 

 of this Scink-like Lizard, viz., Ablepharus pannonicus, 

 enters Europe in the south-east, inhabiting Greece as 

 far north as Southern Hungary. In Asia it is found 

 in Syria and North Arabia. This clearly signifies 

 that the Lizard is an Oriental migrant. 



Among the Snakes which participated in the 



