ZAMENIS 177 



Reproduction. — Eggs, laid at the end of June or 

 beginning of July in a well-sheltered hole, are a little 

 over twice as long as broad, and measure 1*2 to 

 1*4 inches in length. The number of eggs is eight 

 to fifteen according to Fatio, about a dozen accord- 

 ing to Tomasini, five according to Werner. The 

 pairing was observed by Schreiber at the end of May, 

 the male and female seizing each other reciprocally 

 by the neck with their jaws ; this mode of pairing 

 must not, however, be regarded as the rule in this 

 species, for in other cases observed by Schreiber and 

 by Honnorat the pairs were simply entwined by 

 their coils. 



7. Zamenis dahlii, Fitzinger 

 Dahl's Whip-Snake 



Form. — Very slender ; head narrow, snout moder- 

 ately prominent, obtuse. Tail about one-third of the 

 total length. 



Head-Shields. — Rostral a little broader than deep, 

 just visible from above. Frontal not or but little 

 broader than the supraocular, once and two-thirds to 

 once and three-fourths as long as broad, as long as 

 or longer than its distance from the end of the snout, 

 shorter than the parietals. Loreal longer than deep. 

 One preocular, usually in contact with the frontal, 

 with a subocular below it ; two postoculars. Tem- 

 porals 2 + 2 or 2 + 3 (rarely 1 + 2). Upper labials 

 eight or nine, fourth and fifth or fifth and sixth 

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