CASPIAN HYDRUS. 557 



a strong plumbeous or livid blue, with numerous, 

 moderately broad, deep brown or blackish bands 

 from head to tail, each completely surrounding 

 the body, but being rather paler beneath than 

 above : a slight tinge of yellow is also diffused 

 along the abdomen and over the front of the 

 head. This is a poisonous Serpent, but the fangs 

 are remarkably small for the size of the animal. 



CASPIAN HYDRUS. 



Hydras Caspius. H. dorsi maculis Jiigris orbiculatis, cauda ni- 

 gricante nmcrone gcmino, uno supra alterum posito. Schneid. 

 Amph.fasc. 1. p. 244. 



Olivaccocinereous Hydrus, paler beneath, with black orbicu- 

 lar spots quincuncially disposed in four series down the back, 

 and the tail terminated by a double point. 



Coluber Hydrus. Lin. Syst. Nat. Gmel. p. 1103. Pall. it. I. 

 p. 459. 



DESCRIBED by Dr. Pallas, and said to be found 

 in the Rhine and the Caspian sea : length about 

 three feet; colour olivaceo-cinereous, with four 

 rows of orbicular black spots disposed in a quin- 

 cuncial series down the back : abdomen yellowish, 

 tesselated with black : a black band on each side 

 the neck, meeting in a point behind the head, and 

 accompanied by two oblong blackish spots : tail 

 almost entirely black, and terminated by a small 

 double point, one beneath the other : has the ge- 

 neral habit of an Anguis, having a small head, 

 small eyes with a yellow circle, two rows of small 

 teeth, and a very long, black tongue. 



