di MR. \V. THEOBALD, JUN., ON THE 



sun's rays. The day after, all, more or less, showed strong sym- 

 ptoms of decay, except Coii^chla, which alone exhibited little or no 

 change. It would be quite superfluous to detail here every day's 

 appearance during the fortnight the experiment lasted. Suffice it 

 to say that at the end of that period scarcely anythiiig remained but 

 the flattened, dried-up, skinny, and all but colourless skeletons 

 of the lot, save the little beauty, who still stood wonderfully out, 

 being little the worse in appearance. True, the eye was sunk 

 and dull, and the softer portion of its body a little, but only a 

 little, shrivelled. Its colours too, except the green, were nearly 

 as vivid as when it was first laid out, or when it used to dart, like 

 a silver arrow, through the Avaters of the deep. 



Catalogue of the Reptiles of British Birma, embracing the Pro- 

 vinces of Bcgu, Martaban, and Tcnasserim ; with descriptions 

 of new or little-kuown species. By W. Tueobald, Juu., 

 Grcological Survey of India. Communicated by Gr. Busk, 

 Esq., Sec. L.S. 



[Read November 7, 18G7.] 



lu" preparing the present catalogue, my object has been twofold : — 

 first the correct discrimination of the species authentically known 

 to be from Birma, amongst those contained in the somewhat 

 lengthy list of reptiles generally referred to the "East Indies"; 

 and secondly the description of such new species as have occurred 

 to me, or such additional details of known species as my oppor- 

 tunities may have enabled me to gather. 



The present catalogue is based mainly on specimens examined 

 by myself, the few instances being noted where I have not seen 

 the animals. The great majority of the specimens have been 

 collected by myself, and the descriptions drawn up from them 

 while fresh, which has enabled me to make some connections in 

 the work of my eminent predecessor in this subject, Dr. Griintlier, 

 Avhose monograph has been of inestimable value to me, and to 

 worthily supplement which, by the present communication, I 

 shall regard as my chief praise. 



The specimens alluded to in the present catalogue are, with few 

 exceptions, either in the Museum of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 

 (now incorporated with the Imperial Museum in Calcutta) or in 



