ERYX JACtTLTJS. 243 
This species apparently does not extend into Middle Egypt. It is very plentiful 
in the delta proper and is the common species around Cairo. It is distributed over 
Northern Africa, from Lower Egypt to the confines of Morocco, if not to Morocco 
itself, to the Ionian Islands, South-east Europe, South-west and Central Asia. 
I have included in the foregoing table the type specimen of the species, and 7 
examples from the extreme eastern limit of its range, viz. from Turkestan. It will be 
seen that in that area the head-scales and upper labials are more numerous than in the 
typical form. 
In 7 out of 11 Egyptian examples of the species there are more than 190 ventrals, 
the highest number being 200, while only 4 have fewer than 190, the lowest number 
being 181. 
Among the 7 snakes in the table, and 5 others with more numerous head-scales 
from Turkestan and the Afghanistan confines of Turkestan, not recorded, only one has 
more than 190 ventrals, but the number is high, viz. 200. Eight of them have more 
than 180 ventrals, and three have fewer, the lowest being 172. 
In examples of the typical form from beyond Egypt the ventrals vary from 165 to 
187. The lowest number, 165, has been met with in the two extremes of its distri- 
bution, viz., in the island of Corfu and on the western slopes of the Kopet Dagh, but 
in Persia 187 occurs. The snakes of the islands of Corfu and Xanthus are markedly 
distinct from the Egyptian specimens of this species in the relatively low number of 
their ventrals. In not one out of 9 examples are there more than 177 ventrals, while 
in a single specimen there are only 168. 
The subcaudals do not exceed 25 in any of the specimens of the typical form from 
Egypt, their range being from 18 to 25; and practically a nearly similar number 
prevails in Turkestan, where the subcaudals, as yet reported, vary from 19 to 27 ; but 
at Bala Murghab, in Afghanistan, the numbers rise to 33. In the typical form found in 
Xanthus and in Persia as many as 34 are present. 
I have also given in the table the details regarding Eryx elegans, Gray, from 
Afghanistan, which is distinguished from E.jaculus only by its somewhat larger and 
less numerous body-scales, which do not exceed 36 in number, whereas the lowest 
number hitherto reached in E. jaculus is 40 ; but as Afghanistan becomes better known 
it seems probable, in view of the already known range of variability of the body-scales 
of this species, that individuals will be met with that will bridge over the gap between 
36 and 40. 
Hasselquist, in his original description of Anguis cerastes, considered it to be the 
Cerastes (horned viper) of Prosper Alpinus ; but, so far from this being the case, 
his Cerastes was an Eryx with artificial horns, consisting of the claws of some bird 
introduced on to the head, over the orbits. During Dumeril and Bibron's clay the Paris 
Museum possessed examples of this species (E. jaculus) the heads of which bore similar 
false horns firmly implanted and with the skin of the snake perfectly adhering to them. 
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