99. coNTrTA. 263 
that between the prefrontals; frontal not once and a half as long 
as broad, as long as or longer than its distance from the end of the 
snout, shorter than the parietals ; loreal very small, longer than deep ; 
one pre-and two postoculars ; temporals 1+ 1; seven upper labials, 
third and fourth entering the eye; four lower labials in contact 
with the anterior chin-shields ; posterior chin-shields smaller and in 
contact with each other. Scales in 15 rows. Ventrals 159-183 ; 
anal divided; subcaudals 40-53. Brownish yellow above ; head 
and nape black, with three or four yellow transverse lines ; the 
black of the nape descending to the sides of the throat ; lower parts 
uniform white. 
Total length 300 millim. ; tail 55. 
Syria. 
a-b. 6 (V.174; C. 52) & her. Sarona, near Senckenberg Mus. [E. }. 
(V. 161; C. 53). Jaffa. 
ce. & (V. 159; C. 47). Lebanon. Canon Tristram [C.]. 
d-e. Yg. (V. 159, 160; C. 47, Galilee. Canon Tristram |C. |. 
47). 
9. Contia persica. 
Cyclophis persicus, Anders. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1872, p. 392, fig. ; 
Blanf. Zool. E. Persia, p. 408, pl. xxviii. fig. 1 (1876). 
Pseuducyclophis persicus, Boetty. Zool. Jahrb. iii. 1888, p. 922. 
Rostral nearly twice as broad as deep, just visible from above ; 
nasal undivided ; suture between the internasals nearly as long as 
that between the preefrontals; frontal once and a half as long as 
broad, about once and a half as broad as the supraocular, as long as 
its distance from the end of the snout, much shorter than the 
parietals ; no loreal, nasal touching or nearly reaching the pre- 
ocular; one pre-and one postocular ; temporals 14+1; seven upper 
labials, third’ and fourth entering the eye; four lower labials in 
contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are at least twice as 
large as the posterior. Scales in 15 rows. Ventrals 194-216; 
anal divided ; subcaudals 63-77. Yellowish or pale olive above, 
unspotted ; upper surface of head and nape black, the black descend- 
ing in front of the eye to the anterior lower labials; the rest of 
the labial region, the rostral, and the lower parts uniform yellowish 
white. 
Total length 400 millim.; tail 90. The specimen in the collee- 
tion measures 230 ; tail 45. 
Persia. 
a. Her. (V. 196; C. 63). Persia. 
10. Contia walteri. 
Pseudocyclophis walteri, Boettg. Zool. Anz. 1888, p. 262, and Zool. 
Jahrb. iii. 1888, p. 922, pl. xxxiv. fig. 1; Bouleng. Faun. Ind., 
Rept. p. 300 (1890), and Proc. Zool. Soc. 1891, p. 632. 
Rostral once and a half as broad as deep, visible from above ; 
nasal undivided ; suture between the internasals longer than that 
