BAST AFRICAN SNAKES. 881 



The Kilosa and Kipei'a specimens ai-e of the type that appears 

 to be a mimic of Causus rhombeatus, but C. rhomheatUs is 

 not found at Kilosa, and where this Night Adder is common at 

 Nairobi you get an all-black or all-brown variety of the Egg- 

 eater. The Zengeragusu reptile was a most interesting variety. 

 Colour iron-clad grey with a single row of brick-red dorsal spots. 



This snake was literally covered with ticks {Aponomma Iceve 

 Linn.), seventy-five of which I collected, 



Geodipsas PRO0TERJ5 Loveridge. 



Love, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1922, p. 313, 



Since my description of the type a second specimen has been 

 taken in the same locality by my collector. 



Male. Snout to vent 350 mm. Tail 70 mm. Mid-body scales 

 17; ventrals 153; caudals 40; upper labials 8. This specimen 

 agrees with the type in all essential respects, excepting that the 

 3rd, 4th, and 5th upper labials enter the eye as against 4th and 

 5th in the type. It has also 5 more ventrals and 9 caudals less. 



The following markings are also distinguishable. A black 

 collar on nape or back of head touching posterior border of 

 parietals, but not reaching to ventrals ; it is very broadly V-shaped. 

 Twelve or more black saddle-like markings, two scales deep, on 

 anterior third of body, separated from one another by two-scale 

 intervals which are approximately 2 mm, interspaces. White 

 stipplings on sides of anterior third of body sometimes falling on 

 outer edges of ventrals, which are grey and thus differ from the 

 colouring in the type, as they are very distinct from the blackish 

 dorsal colouring. 



Tarbopuis bemiannulatus Smith. 

 Blgr. Cat. Snakes, iii. 1896, p. 51. 



Five specimens from Morogoro and Lumbo. 



The Morogoro specimen is so much larger than the dimensions 

 given in the Catalogue that I give it here — 35^ inches (735 -!- 159). 

 A Lumbo specimen had only 198 ventrals. 



It is curious how one may be in a locality for many months 

 without meeting with a particular species of snake, and then 

 several turn up within a few days, followed by a long period 

 when none are met with. Such was the case with this species at 

 Lumbo, where I caught two females in one evening and a third a 

 few days later, the circumstances of capture being as follows : — 

 At 7 p.m. I was hastily summoned to the Mess, where it appears 

 that the adjutant was about to take his seat when the snake was 

 noticed entwined in the wicker back of the chair. After putting 

 this Tiger Snake into a bag I returned to my tent, and within an 

 hour was summoned to capture a second, which was slowly moving 

 across the arc of illumination cast from a lighted tent. Both 

 were females, and there was only a millimetre difference in theit 

 lengths (2 feet 6 inches) ; they were taken about 20C-300 yards 

 apart. 



