228 . THE ZOOLOGIST. 



birds ; it attains a length of 3420 mm. and a diameter of 60 mm. 

 Its bite is usually followed by fatal consequences ; cattle are 

 often bitten by these vipers and usually die, but the Tartars 

 sometimes succeed in averting fatal results by applying promptly 

 a wet cup above the wound. Owing to its heavy build, V. 

 lebetina is a sluggish creature ; if held firmly by the tail at arm's 

 length, it is unable to raise its heavy body, and so may be 

 picked up boldly and dropped into a bag or collecting-box. 



Several Lizards occur, as Ophiosaurus apus, Pall., Lacerta 

 viridis, L., var. strigata, Eichw., L. saxicola var. gracilis, Mich., 

 Ophiops elegans, Menk.' Tortoises are numerous ; the commonest 

 is the ordinary Land-tortoise of the Caucasus, Testudo ibera, 

 Pall. Clemmys caspica, Gm. is very common along the banks of 

 the canals, but Emys orbicidaris, L., is rarer ; the young Tortoises 

 are attacked by Storks and Vultures. 



I saw few mammals ; a dead Weasel on the road and an 

 occasional Hare, Lepus cyrensis, Sat., on the steppe, complete 

 my list of wild mammals observed in the district, but several 

 interesting forms occur. The Striped Hysena is a great rarity 

 in the Aresh district, and the Gazelle (Eussian and Tartan, 

 ajeiran ,• Gazella subgutturosa, Guld.) has retired further to the 

 east and south. Forms peculiar to the Kuro-Araksin valley, 

 according to Satunin, are as follows : Hemiecliinus calligoni var. 

 brachyotis, Sat., Cerbillus hurricance, Jerd., Mus muiculus var. 

 tartaricus, Sat., Nesocricetus brandti, Nanr., Alactaga williamsi 

 var. ScJimidti, Sat., and A. elater var. caucasicua, Nanr. 



On June 16th-July 31st I very unwillingly left my genial 

 host for Baku, where I had no time for Natural History. There 

 I sweltered for two days. There is a magnificent municipal 

 bathing-place, but the sight of interference-colours on the surface 

 of the water, due to a film of oil and various objectionable 

 objects from the town, were very discouraging. So I took a boat 

 and rowed right out to sea, and had a glorious swim, comforting 

 myself with the thought that here at least was a sea in which 

 Navis submarina is 'not a member of the fauna. As the 

 temperature was over 100° F. in the shade it was a good place 

 to get away from, especially as there was a moist, hot wind 

 blowing up from the south ; it* seems curious that though the 

 hills round Baku are bare and treeless, the climate is quite 



