ANNALS 
MEDEDELINGEN 
OF THE VAN HET 
J’ransoaal Jftusetim. 
Vol. III. JANUARY, 1913. No. 4. 
ON A COLLECTION OF REPTILES FROM MADAGASCAR 
MADE DURING THE YEAR 1911. 
By Paul A. Methuen, F.Z.S., and John Hewitt, B.A. (Cantab.). 
Introduction. 
The Reptiles recorded and described in .this paper were collected by 
Mr. Metbuen, who was assisted by Monsieur Herschell-Chauvin, of Tama- 
tave. during the months from May to December, 1911, in various parts 
of the island of Madagascar. 
The majority of the specimens forming the collection are in the 
possession of the Transvaal Museum, a duplicate set having been sent 
to the Oxford University Museum. 
Before proceeding with the descriptions, it would be as well we think 
to explain briefly the general characteristics of the regions in which the 
Reptiles were taken, and in order to facilitate matters, a map is given. 
The island of Madagascar can be divided into three distinct floral 
regions, namely, the Eastern, the Western, and the Central or Plateau 
region. In these several zones the average precipitation of rain is different, 
the heaviest rainfall occurring in the eastern parts, the lowest in the 
western. The western region can be sub-divided into the western proper 
(from the Onilahy River to the northern part of the island) and the 
south-western (south of the Onilahy River, embracing among other 
territories those of the Mahafaly and the Antandroy, and stretching as a 
fairly wide belt towards the east well into the Province of Fort Dauphin, 
in fact within 50 kilometers or so of the town bearing this name). 
The general characteristics of these zones are as follows : — The 
eastern region varying naturally with the latitude is very hot in summer 
and fairly cool in winter. The precipitation is heaviest when the monsoon 
winds from the east are blowing, that is from the months of December 
o April. The driest months are during August, September, and October. 
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