NOTES ON SNAKES FROM PERSIA. 803 



Rostral in contact with 6 shields, the naso-rostral sutures longest. 

 Intemasals. — The suture between the fellows half that between the 

 prefrontal fellows ; two-thirds the internaso- prefrontal suture. 

 Prefrontals. — Suture between the fellows greater than the prse- 

 fronto-frontal sutures ; in contact with internasal, postnasal (very 

 slightly), loreal, prseocular, and frontal. Frontal. — Touches 8 shields, 

 the fronto-supraocnlar sutures rather the longest. Length greater 

 than distance to the end of the snout, — subequal to parietals. Supra- 

 oculars. — Length and breadth about three-quarters that of the frontal. 

 Nasals divided, equal to or rather longer than loreal, in contact with 

 the 1st and 2nd supralabials. A suture from the nostril to the 

 1st supralabial. Loreal, — One, touching the eye below the prseo- 

 cular. Prceocular. — One, touching the frontal. Postoculars. — Three. 

 Temporals. — Scale-like, three superposed anteriorly. Suprala- 

 bials. — 8, the 3rd, 4th and 5th touching the eye, 6th longest. Post- 

 erior sublinguals. — Three-quarters the anterior, in contact with the 

 4th and 5th (or 5th ? ) infralabials ; the fellows quite separated. 

 Infralabials. — The 5th is the largest of the series, and in contact 

 with three scales behind. The suture between the 1st subequal to 

 that between the anterior sublinguals. Pupil vertical. Colour. — 

 Greyish with three series of large well defined blackish spots. The 

 median form cross bars, and the lateral alternate as vertical bars 

 passing down as far as the angulation of the ventrals. Belly between 

 angulation of ventrals black, the angulation lightly streaked. 



There are 46 cross bars on the body, and they involve about as 

 many scales (2 to 3) in the length of the snake as the intervals. 

 Many of these do not meet their fellows accurately on the spine 

 occasioning oblique, or divided bars. Head neutral tint, the lower 

 half of the supralabials greyish. 



Psammop>his schokari. 



Two specimens. 



The costals 2 heads lengths behind head are 17, at midbody 17, 

 and 2 heads lengths before the vent 11. Absorption agrees with that 

 of other specimens I have examined. The first two steps from 17 

 to 15, and from 15 to 13 occur very close together, and may be 

 reversed. The 3rd and 5th rows above the ventrals are absorbed into 

 the rows above or below. .From 13 to 11 the 4th is absorbed. 



