INTRODUCTION. XIU 



chiensis, Gymnodactylus petrensis, Stenodactylus oriental^ et Dunster- 

 ville, Scincus arenaria and Stellio melanura. Among the OpLidiaj 

 Zamenis gracilis, Hydrophis Stewartii, Eydrophis dayanns, rohusia, 

 Bishopii and Guntherii, (the two last newly described species) are the 

 only forms peculiar to Sind. The most common forms distributed 

 in India are Zamenis diadema, Tropidonotus quincunciatus, Echis 

 carinata, Psammophis Leithi and four species belonging to the family 

 HydrophidcB, which are numerous on the Sind andBeloochistan coasts ; 

 of this latter those already known are no doubt only a few which affect 

 the seas. The majority of reptiles belong to the oriental or Indian 

 fauna. Sind Chelonians are not known in Persia ; it is not unlikely, 

 however, that one or both marine forms will be found to occur. 



In. concluding this introduction it only remains for me to acknowledge 

 the valuable assistance received in this attempt to collate the scattered 

 information regarding the vertebrate fauna of Sind into a systematic 

 account. Though seemingly simple, it has involved considerable labour 

 and research, and could not be successfully accomplished without valuable 

 aid. Among those to whom I am under special obligation I would first 

 mention Dr. John Anderson, Superintendent of the Indian Museum, 

 and Professor of Comparative Anatomy, Calcutta, to whom I am not 

 only indebted for the identification of. many species of which I had the 

 smallest doubt, at a time when no works of reference were available to 

 me for my guidance, but also for copies of descriptions of many animals 

 from publications which wore not accessible to me, and for very kindly 

 permitting the use of the plates of the Erinaceidas, which accompanied his 

 paper in the J. A. S. Bengal. To these I have added a little, and 

 the structure of the dentition of the species has been made slightly more 

 prominent from skulls in my possession. Next I would mention Dr. 

 Gunther, of the British Museum, to whom I am in several ways 

 indebted. To Mr. W. T. Blanford, too, for very kindly looking over the 

 collection of reptiles in the Museum, and setting aright, when passing- 

 through Kurrachee for the last time, some obsolete names. Among many 

 friends who have kindly assisted me by collection of specimens I am 

 especially indebted to Mr. F. Gleadow, Deputy Conservator of Forests, 

 also to Mr. W. D. Gumming, of the Persian Telegraph at Bushire and 

 Fao, whose collections from these parts have helped most materially in 

 not only adding to the already known fauna of Persia and Mesopotamia, 

 but in confi^rming the occurrence of many species of which Mr. 

 Blanford {Ea^t. Persia) was in doubt, thus making this portion of the 

 distribution table of considerable value as to the distribution of 

 the Sind species into Palaearcticlimits. To Mr. B, T. Ffinch, Director 



