14 
IKTHOBUCTOEY LETTEE. 
number of Ophidians, which, belonging always to similar 
species, have shewn how well this empire has been ex- 
plored, as far as regards its natural history. We possess 
but few serpents from China, Sumatra, Malacca, and in 
general from the eastern part of Asia. Dr De Witt, es- 
tablished at Bedford, has presented several to us ; others 
have been acquired by our Indian travellers. A package 
sent in 1827 to the Museum of the Netherlands, con- 
tained the spoils of a considerable number of the species 
described by Bussel. The productions of Ceylon are 
only known to us by the original specimens in several 
collections in Holland, and a small collection which we 
owe to the obliging care of Dr Smith, Director of the 
South- African Museum. M. Lichtenstein has present- 
ed to us some species of Ophidians, obtained during the 
expedition of M. Eversman in Tartary. 
The serpents of Europe have been partly communicated 
by some of our friends, partly by several travellers, or by 
the Museum of Vienna : we owe to that establishment 
the serpents of Austria and Hungary; the unfortunate 
Michaelles sent to us some specimens collected in Spain, 
and the principal part of those that live in Dalmatia, a 
country since visited by our traveller M. Francis Can- 
traine, who, in afterwards exploring Italy, Sardinia, and 
Sicily, has sent us their productions ; M. Eoux has pre- 
sented us with the reptiles of the south of France, and 
M. Len2 those of central Germany, &c. &c. 
The voyage of M. Buppell has furnished to our 
Museum most of the productions of Egypt. Colonel 
Thembert has brought us several snakes taken in the 
Barbary States, especially in the neighbourhood of Tunis. 
An intelligent amateur, M. Clifford, the consul of the 
Netherlands at Tripoli, has investigated, as a naturalist, 
the environs of that city, — not very rich, it is true, in the 
productions of natural history. An insalubrious climate, 
destructive to most Europeans who visit the coast of 
Guinea, is the cause why so small a number of objects of 
natural history are brought to us from our colony, estab- 
lished on that land of promise ; and it is to Professor 
Eschricht of Copenhagen that we are indebted for about 
