NOTES ON SNAKES FROM PERSIA. 



801 



The reduction of rows from 17 to 15 is occasioned by a confluence 

 of the 3rd and 4th rows above the ventrals. The largest specimen is 

 nearly uniform brown, but the spots seen in the younger specimens 

 are obscurely visible when scrutinised. The younger specimens are 

 specked with small blackish spots which show a great tendency to 

 occur in pairs or triplets side by side. In the posterior part of the 

 body and tail these spots become rearranged in longitudinal inter- 

 rupted lines. Hitherto I believe this species has been known from 

 Syria only, but there is nothing surprising in the extension of habitat 

 to Persia as the Fauna of Syria is essentially that of the valley of the 

 Euphrates and Tigris. 



Contia persica. 

 Five specimens. 



25 



Lab. touching eye. 



15 

 15 

 15 

 15 

 15 



15 



15 

 15 

 15 

 15 



15 



15 

 13 

 13 

 15 



202 ? 

 213 

 201 

 200 

 20 



66 

 63 



78 

 67 

 64 



3rd and 4th. 

 3rd and 4th. 

 3rd and 4th. 

 3rd and 4th. 

 Srd and 4th. 



In specimens 3 and 4 the reduction of rows from 15 to 13 is brought 

 about by a coalescence of the 3rd and 4th or 4th and 5th rows above 

 the ventrals. The prefrontal owing to the absence of a loreal meets 

 the 2nd supralabial in all the specimens. 



In No. 3 there is a black well defined collar, and two narrower less 

 defined bands on the head, one across between the eyes, the other 

 across the middle of the parietals. In the other specimens no such 

 bands can be distinguished but the whole of the head between the 

 limits of these three bands is quite black. 



