﻿252 VIPERID^ 



band ; a dark streak or broad band from the eye to 

 the angle of the mouth, sometimes continued along 

 the neck; dark vertical bars often present on the 

 sides of the snout and under the eye ; on the lower 

 lip, the dark shade, if present, broken up by light 

 bars separated by two to four labial shields. Belly 

 greyish or pink, powdered with brown or black, or 

 dark bluish-grey, with or without black and white 

 spots ; lower surface of end of tail orange or coral 

 red, rarely yellow. Iris golden. Specimens with a 

 straight brown vertebral band flanked with triangular 

 black spots pointing outwards (var. steindachneri, 

 Werner) are known from Hungary, and resemble 

 certain colour varieties of V. berus and V. aspis. 

 Black specimens are very rare. 



The following varieties are important geographical 

 forms occurring in Europe : 



Var. montandoni, Boulenger: Naso- rostral shield 

 never reaching the canthus rostralis nor the summit 

 of the rostral shield, which is deeper than broad 

 (once and one-seventh to once and a halfj ; rostral 

 appendage clad with ten to fourteen scales, in three 

 (rarely two or four) transverse series between the 

 rostral shield and the apex. Scales in twenty-one 

 rows. Ventral shields 149 to 158 ; subcaudals 

 30 to 38. A more or less distinct dark blotch on 

 the lower lip, involving five to seven labial shields 

 without complete interruption. Lower surface of 

 end of tail yellow. 



