570 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 



several phases of its make-up, is thought to rep- 

 resent the ancestral stock (terrestrial) from 

 which sprung the poisonous marine serpents of 

 the East Indies. 



In addition to the exhibit of poisonous Aus- 

 tralian serpents, two fine examples of Australian 

 pythons, the Diamond Snake, Morelia spilotes, 

 and the Carpet Snake, Morelia variegata, were 

 placed in the collection. Of closely allied 

 species, a beautiful young Regal Python, Py- 

 thon reticulatus, from Borneo, two specimens of 

 the Congo Python, P. sebae, a Madagascar Boa, 

 Boa madagascariensis, and a Madagascar Tree 

 Boa, Corallus madagascariensis, were added. 

 The latter named species stand as spectacular 

 types of freak distribution. In their structure 

 they are wonderfully like the South American 

 members of the Boida;, which they also resemble 

 in size and coloration. With South America 

 the headquarters of the Boaine snakes, and the 

 tropics of the Eastern Hemisphere, the habitat 

 of the pythons, it seems remarkable that the 

 Island of Madagascar should contain these two 

 species of showy boas, absolutely separated from 

 all allied forms. 



A very good series of the harmless serpents 

 of Europe was obtained, which collection has 

 been grouped as one of the features of the Rep- 

 tile House. The following species of snakes 

 are represented in this series: English Grass 



Chameleons 



Snake, Tropidonotus natrix, Spotted Grass 

 Snake, T. natrix asteptrophorus, Dalmatian 

 Water Snake. T. natrix murorum, Tessellated 

 Water Snake, T. tessellatus, "Viperine" Water 

 Snake, T ■ viperintts, Dahl's Snake, Zamenis 

 dahlii, Smooth Snake, Coronellii austriaca, Cat 

 Snake, Tarbophis eirax, Leopard Snake, Colu- 

 ber leopardinus, Four-Rayed Snake, C. quatour- 

 lineatus, and Aesculapian Coluber, C. aesculapii. 

 The latter named species is of great historical 

 interest. In the time of the early Romans it 

 was believed to be the messenger of Aesculapius, 

 the God of Healing. Its appearance was al- 

 ways considered the omen of some gracious ac- 

 tion on the part of that particular deity. This 

 belief gained such strength that writers of an- 

 cient history record the fact that the Legions 

 carried a number of these sacred reptiles on their 

 great expeditions. 



Besides the species of European snakes a full 

 series of the Continental lizards was obtained. 

 The handsomest species among these is the Oc- 

 cellated Lizard, Lacerta occellata, from southern 

 Europe. The large males are of spectacular 

 coloration — bright green with blotches of rich 

 blue on the sides. The larger examples have a 

 head slightly over two inches in width. Showy 

 lizards of India, Africa and Australia were also 

 added to the collection. The star specimen 

 purchased is a huge Ceylonese Monitor, Vara- 

 nus salvator, over seven feet long and with claws 

 as large as those of a leopard. During the 

 time the writer was finishing his purchases in 

 England, this big lacertilian was placed on ex- 

 hibition in the Reptile House of the London 

 Zoological Gardens, where his great size, ac- 

 tivity and habit of swallowing eight to ten hen 

 eggs entire, attracted much interest. The Mon- 

 itor is now on exhibition in a large cage on the 

 main floor of our Reptile House, immediately 

 west of the cage containing the big pythons, 

 of several species, Spiny-Tailed 

 Lizards, Glass 

 "Snakes," Slow 

 "Worms" and the like 

 figure among the bet- 

 ter known lizards ob- 

 tained. 



With the purchase 



EGYPTIAN JERBOA. 



