SNAKES FROM MESOPOTAMIA. 349 



12. Tarbophis iberus, Eichw. 



Bagdad (Capt. Ingoldby); Mesopotamia (Capt. Mackenzie). 



The 6 specimens in the collection have the scales in 21 rows, as in Wall's 

 T. tessellatus (J. Bomb. N. H. Soc. XVIIl, 1908, p. 802) from S, W. Persia, 

 of which 1 have examined the type and which 1 cannot separate from T. 

 iberus* 



Habitat: Caucasus, Mesopotamia, S.W.Persia. 



Moves chiefly by night. Usually extremely sluggish and placid, allowing 

 itself to be picked up and handled without protest. One which I had kept 

 in a small box for two days before transfer to a cage was on removal 

 exceedingly aggressive, hissing and biting vigorously. The largest 1 found 



was coiled in a bunch of dates, at midday, on the top of a tall palm 



C.M.I. 



13. CoelopeUis monspessulana, Herm. 

 Bagdad (Lt.-Col. W^all, Capt. Ingoldby). 



Hahitat: Borders of the Mediterranean, eastwards to the Caucasus and 

 Persia. 



Fairly common near Bagdad whenever vegetation is fairly dense. 



Lives in holes, usually at the roots of bushes or palms. Most active at 

 night, but not infrequently seen moving in the shade by day, during the 

 great heat. Markings pretty constant, ground colour varying from bluish 

 gray to dark olive brown in specimens of equil size — C.M.I, 



14. (7 ce^owe Itis moilensis, Reuss. 



Sodom, Sheik Saad (Capt. Ingoldby) ; Shaiba (Lt. Livesey). 



Habitat : Northern Sahara, from Algeria to Egypt and Xubia, Arabia, 

 Western Persia. 



One specimen sent me by Capt. Cheesman from Sodom near Sheikh Saad. 

 The skin between the dorsal scales is orange or bright brick-red colour. 

 On being disturbed the creature dilates its neck somewhat, producing a 

 striking appearance of a vivid flush as if the neck were aglow — C.M.I. 



15. Psammopliis scJioJcari , Forsk. 



Basra (Lt.-Col. Wall) : Shaiba (Lt. Livesey). 



Habitat : Borders of the Sahara. Arabia, Syria, Persia, Baluchistan, 

 Afghanistan, Sind. 



16. Naia morgani, Mocquard. 



Shaiba (Lt. Livesey) ; Mesopotamia (Capt. Mackenzie). 

 Habitat : Previously known from Persia. 



When Wall's description of Atmctaspis ivilsoni appeared in this Journal 

 (XVIII, 1908, p. 804, fig.), I concluded that his snake was identical with 

 Mocqar'd's Naia mcrgani (Bull. Mus. Paris, 1905, p. 78), and I entered 

 it in my notes as a synonym of that species, a conclusion fully confirmed 

 by a comparison with WalYs type specimen kindly entrusted to me by 

 M"-. Kinnear. Naia morgani is well characterized by its larger rostral, the 



specnnens 



blackish brown, a little paler beneath. vi-tt lonr 

 Wall's Melanoseps macphersoni (Journ. Bomb. N. H. Soc. XVil. lt^U»^, 

 p. 27, fig.), from the Aden Hinterland, is a synonym of my Atractaspis 

 andersonii (Ann. and Mag. N. H. XVI, 1905, p . ISO)- 



* Tuphlops wilsoni. described as n&^ in the same paper, is, iu my opinion, a 

 synonym of T. vermicularis, Merr. 



