PREFACE. 
The first step towards the preparation of this volume was the formation of a collection 
of the Reptiles and Batrachians of Egypt. This was an absolute necessity, as these 
groups were evidently so poorly represented in the Museums of this country and in 
those of Europe, that it would have been impossible to have derived from them any just 
conception of the extent of these constituents of the Egyptian Fauna. Moreover, in 
Great Britain, as on the Continent, it was a rare circumstance to find a specimen with 
any more definite locality assigned to it than " Egypt," " Nubia," or the " Sudan." 
In forming the Collection which was to serve as the basis of this volume, an 
endeavour was made to obtain as many specimens as possible from a diversity of 
accurately ascertained and registered localities, distributed over as wide an area as 
practicable. 
While in Egypt, in 1892, I drew up a Memorandum pointing out the lack of 
information that existed regarding the Fauna of the country generally, but more 
especially of the Mammalia, Reptilia, and Batrachia ; and further, to make this 
Circular as useful as possible, it was translated into Arabic through the courteous 
assistance of Colonel Sir Colin Scott Moncrieff, at that time Director of Irrigation, who 
also aided me in its circulation. Those who favourably replied to the Memorandum 
were furnished with the necessary materials for collecting, and with full instructions 
for the proper preservation of the specimens. 
Nearly five years were devoted to collecting, and with the result that over 
1500 specimens of Reptilia and Batrachia were brought together, of which more than 
1400 were permanently preserved. The greater part was presented to the British 
Museum; another set, all but complete, was also presented to the Museum of the 
