56 Mr. Sheppard's Description of a new British Species of Viper. 
COLUBER CERULEUS. BLUE-BELLIED VIPER. 
Head, upper part light brown, marked with a dark brown spot 
in the form of a V; under part, scales yellowish white, edged 
with dull red. 
Irides red ; pupil brownish black. 
Scales on the margin of the upper jaw yellowish white, edged with 
brown : jaws somewhat compressed sideways. 
Back light brown, and a string of dark brown rhomboidal marks 
reaching from the head to the end of the tail. 
Sides spotted with dark brown. 
Belly, the scuta light blue, spotted, particularly at the edges, with 
white : the first row of scales which margin the scuta is edged 
with white. 
Length 21 inches 10 lines* ; head 10 lines : from the head to the 
anus 18^ inches ; and from the anus to the tip of the tail ££ 
inches. In the last division the first two inches on the under 
part are blue, edged with red, and the remaining half inch 
yellow, spotted with white. 
* I bave since caught another that measures 25 inches in length. 
V. Description 
