1082 MAJOn S, S. FLOWKR ON ADDITIONS 



and there is nothing to fall back upon, beyond the stateuient of 

 the juggler, to establish it {Walterbmesia) as aii Egyptian species. 

 I have made the most careful enquiries about its presence in the 

 neighbourhood of Cairo, without having been able to throw any 

 light upon tlie subject, and Dr. Inncs's endeavours to procure 

 more specimens have been fruitiest;." 



Since Dr. Anderson's time several other visitors to Egy})t, 

 interested in Zoology, have made special endeavours to outain 

 specimens of Walter innesia, but without success. 



On 12th November, 1908, the man Avho had sold the first speci- 

 mens to Dr. Innes brought to Giza a live Walterinnesia, ■which 

 I puichased for the Giza Zoological Gardens. This man said 

 that this species of snake was not found in Egypt, and could 

 only be obtained near the river Atbara, in the Berber Province 

 of the Sudan. This statement was probably made to enhance 

 the value of the specimen he offered to sell, but it influenced me 

 at the time. I infoi-med Mr. Boulenger, and in G. Z. G . " List 

 of Animals (2nd edition)," 1910, p. i^28, wrote of this species 

 ^' ITabUat probably irppor Nubia." So Mr. Bonleuger, P. Z. S. 

 1915, p. G5(), gave the distribution of U'cdterliinesia a;(/i/piia as 

 "Nubia? Egypt?" tan], P. Z. S. 1919, p. 30G :—"' Egypt ? 

 Nubia ? " 



Meanwhile, in 190i, Dr. Innes had received from the Fayum 

 a black snake supposed to be an immature WaUerinneala. in 

 April 1923 I had an opportunity of seeing this specimeUj and, as 

 mentioned above, it belongs to a very diflerent genus. 



10. llediscoveiy of Walterinnesia. 



On 5th April, 1923, Mr. M. J. Nicoll shot a black snake about 

 21 miles east of Cairo, on the Cairo-Suez I'oael, which he lianded 

 over to me the same day for examination. It is the fifth in- 

 dividual of Walierinnesia cegi/piia of which we have record, and of 

 great importance as being the first specimen obtained with 

 reliable data as to locality, etc. It proves that M. Lataste was 

 not in error when he gave the specific name ceyyptia. Mr. 

 Nicoll's find .also brings to notice the interesting fact that 

 Walterinnesia is found in the desert, far from water, in the same 

 kind of country where the Vipers of the genera Cerastes and 

 Echis occur. 



The only Proteroglj-ph Snakes, besides Walterinnesia, which 

 ai'o known from Egy|)t are two species of Cobra., Naia haie and 

 JV^aia nigricollis, neither of which, as far as my ])resont experienco 

 goes, are ever found more than about half a mile's distance from 

 permanent water. 



11. Known specimens of Walterinnesia. 



(i.) The type. Female. Described by Lataste. Now in 



Biitish Museuin. 

 (ii.) Male. Described by Boulenger (Cat. Snakes, iii. p. 392) 

 and by Anderson (1898, pp. 321. 325). Now in British 

 Museum. 



