99. coNTiA. 261 



Psammophis moniliger, Nordin. in Demid. Voy. Russ. Mir. iii. 



p. 342, pi. iv. tig>. 1 (1840). 

 Coronella collaris, Berth, in Wayn. Reise n. Kolchis, p. 332 (1850). 

 Ablabes modestus, Giinfh. Cat. p. 27 (1858) ; Strauch, Sold. Russ. R. 



p. 36, pi. i. fig. 1 (1873) ; Boettg. Ber. Senck. Ges. 1890, p. 294. 

 Contia inodesta, Cope, Proc. Ac. Phtlad. 1862, p. 339. 

 Eireuis collaris, Jan, Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. ii. 1863, p. 257, and 



Icon. Gen. 15, pi. iv. fig. 1 (1800). 

 Ablabes collaris, Strauch, I. c. p. 41, pi. i. fig. 2. 

 Cyclophis modestus, Blanf. Zool. E. Pers. p. 403 (1876) ; Boettg. 



Sitzh. Ac. Berl. 1888, p. 171, and Ber. Senck. Ges. 1892, p. 147 ; 



Mehely, Zool. Anz. 1894, p. 85. 



collaris, Blanf. I. c. p. 405. 



Ablabes modestus, var. semimaculata, Boettg. Ber. Offenh. Ver. Nat. 



1876, p. 58, pi. — . 

 Cyclopais modestus, var. punctatolineata, Boettg. Ber. Senck. Ges. 



1892, p. 147. 



Eostral a little broader tlian deep, just visible from above ; nasal 

 undivided ; suture between the interuasals as long as or a little 

 shorter than that between the prsefroutals ; frontal once and a half 

 to once and two thirds as long as broad, longer than its distance 

 from the end of the snout, shorter than the parietals ; loreal square 

 or a little longer than deep ; one (rarely two) prae- and two (rarely 

 one) postoculars ; temporals 1 + 2; seven upper labials, third and 

 fourth entering the eye ; four (rarely five) lower labials in contact 

 with the anterior chin-shields ; posterior chin-shields smaller than 

 the anterior, and usually separated from each other by scales. 

 Scales in 15 or 17 rows. Ventrals 150-191; anal divided; sub- 

 caudals 50-78. Pale olive above, each scale lighter in the centre ; 

 head and nape in the young black, with yellow spots or cross bands, 

 the black nuchal collar edged with yellow ; these markings becoming 

 indistinct in the adult ; lower parts uniform white. Some varieties 

 have longitudinal series of dark dots, which may form lines on the 

 tail. 



Total length 480 millim. : tail 110. 



From the Archipelago, Cyprus, and Asia Minor to the Caucasus 

 and Persia. 



a-b. S (So. 15 ; V. 151 ; C. 62) Areslisky, Gov. St. Petersburg Mu3. 



& 2 (Sc. 15; V. 164; C. 53). Elizabethpol. [E.]. 



c-d. S (Sc. 17 ; V. 176; C. 78) Constantinople. 



&yg.(Sc.l7; V. 165 ; C. 75). 

 e. Many specs. (^Sc. 17), c7 (V. Xanthus. Sir C. Fellows [P.]. 



164,162, 161, 164, 168, 163, 



156 ; C. 73, 64, 65, 66, 66, 68, 



62), 2 (V. 172, 172 ; C. 56, 



55), & yg. (V. 159, 177, 170, 



150, 174; C. 67, 62, 55, 69, 



63). 

 f~g. 2 & IK- (Sc. 17 ; V. 185, Valley of the R. MacAndrew, 



154 ; C. 59, 78). Meinder. Esq. [P.]. 



h. Yg. (Sc. 15 ; V. 158 ; C. 60). Ruins of Nine- W. K. Loftus, Esq. 



veh. [P.]. 



i-k. Yg. (Sc. 15, 17; V. 163, Euphrates Exped. 



173; C.?, 61). 



