ART. 25 CHINESE AMPHIBIANS AND EEPTILES STEJNEGER 97 



The records published and specimens received since the publica.- 

 tion of the Herpetology of Japan bear out the general statement 

 made there regarding this form. Thus Bedriaga records 14 speci- 

 mens from Alashan, Ordos, and Kansu with ventrals between 152 and, 

 180; Tschugunow mentions 6 specimens from Minusinsk with ven- 

 trals between 158 and 174 (average 164) ; Barbour reports two speci- 

 mens from Shensi having 157 and 161 ventrals. Sowerby sent a typi- 

 cal specimen (No. 49640) , with scale formula : 23 sc. ; 147 v. ; 45 subc. ;: 

 7/8 lab., collected on September 29, 1911 at a locality 15 miles west 

 of Tai-yuan-fu, Shansi, altitude about 5,000 feet, and one (No. 53365)) 

 from I-mien-po, North Kirin, Manchuria, with a scale formula of 

 21 sc. ; 152 V. ; 48 subc. ; and 7 lab. 



AGKISTROCON HALTS BREVICAUDUS (Stejneger) 



Aglcistrodon hlomlioffii hrevicaudus Stejneger, Herp. Japan, Bull. U. ^. 



Nat. Mus., No. 58, 1907, p. 463. — Barbour, Mem. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol, 



40, no. 4, Aug. 1912, p. 132, (IcLang and Kweichowhsien, Hupeh). 

 Ealys dlomhoffil Guenthek in Pratt's To Snows of Tibet, 1892, p. 242 



(near Kiukiang). 

 Ancistrodon blomhoffii Stanley, .Journ. N. China Asiat. Soc, vol. 45, 



1914, p. 31 (Shanghai; Soochow, Hankchow, Wusich, Chinkiang and 



Tatung in Anhui). 

 Agkistrodon hlomhoffd brevicaudatus Barbour, Mem. Mus. Comp. Zocl.) 



vol. 40, no. 4, Aug. 1912, pi. 2, fig. 2 (emendation). 

 Ancistrodon blomhoffii brevicaudus Nikolski, Ann. Zool. Mus. St. P6ters- 



bourg, vol. 19, 1914 (p. 90) (Ussuri). 

 Ancistrodon Jialijs brevicaudus Nikolski, Fauna Rossij, Rept., vol. 2, 1916, 



p. 283 (Hongkong; Korea). 



A considerable material has accumulated since the publication of 

 the Herpetology of Japan, which throws further light on the vexing 

 question of the distinctness of A. brevicaudus, A. intermedius and 

 A. hlomhofjii. The specimens collected by Sowerby in northern 

 China are of special interest, particularly a series of 10 specimens 

 from the Hsin-Lung-Shan district. Imperial Hunting Grounds^ 

 Chilili. They all have 21 scale rows, 136-144 ventrals (average 140) , 

 35-40 subcaudals (average 39) and 7 labials, and are consequently all 

 well within the limits set for A. brevicaudtis, less than 151 ventrals 

 and less than 46 subcaudals. Specimens from further south in east- 

 ern China, as the two by L. I. Moffett from Kiangyin, province of 

 Kiangsu, and the one by C. H. Barlow from Wan Wang Shan, Che- 

 kiang, which have 21 scale rows, 7 labials, ventrals 13(>-140 and sub- 

 caudals 37-41, are of course equally typical. So are Barbour's Hu- 

 9118—25 7 



