TO THE SNAKE FAUNA OF EGYPT. 1081 



7. An Egyptian Lycopliidium, 



Dr. Innes told nie that he had in spirit a supposed young 

 individual of Walter innesia cegi/ptia, collected in agricultural land 

 in the Fay urn, Upper Egypt, in 1904, by the Rev. Father 

 Teillard, and that there was no doubt whatsoever as to the 

 locality. In answer to my enquiries Dr. Innes told me that 

 Father Teillard had never collected in the Sudan, but had, from 

 Cairo, gone to stay at a farm in the Fayum, and while there 

 came across this snake and brought it back with him for 

 Dr. Innes's collection. 



On 19th April, 1923, Dr. Innes lent me this specimen for iden- 

 tification. For fear of damaging it, I did not examine the teeth, 

 but externally there appears no reason not to consider it a 

 Li/cophidifim. capense. 



Scales 17 rows. Ventrals circa 196, Subcaudals 39 : these 

 subcaudals consist of three pairs at base, then three undivided 

 scales, then thirty-two pairs. 



It was on the strength of these undivided subcaudals that the 

 snake had been referred to Walierinnesia. 



It is a most remarkable fact that this South and Tropical 

 African snake should occur in the Fayum, but a parallel case 

 appears to exist in the Rough-keeled, or Egg-eating, Snake 

 DasypeUis scahra, of which the late Dr. John Anderson recorded 

 a single specimen from the Fayum. 



8. Walierinnesia ccgyptia Lataste, 1887. 



Dr. Innes discovered this species : he saw a snake in the hands 

 of a native "snake-charmer" in Cairo, and recognizing that it 

 was something different from the ordinary Cobras of the genus 

 Naia, purchased the specimen and sent it to France to Monsieur 

 Fernand Lataste. 



On 7th February, 1887, this snake was described asaneAvgenus 

 and species by M. Lataste (' Le ISTaturaliste,' Paris, 1887, p. 411 

 et seq.), the generic name being in honour of the discoverer. 



9. "JIahitat " of Walierinnesia. 



As the type-specimen was purchased by Dr. Innes from a pro- 

 fessional "snake-charmer" in Cairo, it was in itself no evidence 

 of being of Egyptian origin. A trade in live reptiles between 

 the resident and wandering performers in Asia and North Africa 

 exists, and probably has existed for many centuries. 



Subsequently Dr. Innes purchased two more individuals from 

 the same man. So three specimens of WaUe7'innesia appear to 

 have been known when Dr. John Anderson wrote on the 

 lierpetology of Egypt, but Dr. Anderson does not mention the 

 number. 



Dr. Anderson wrote (' Zoology of Egypt,' Reptilia, 1898, 

 p. 325) : " The only specimens on record of this species were 

 purchased by Dr. Walter Innes from a snake-charmer in Cairo, 



