99. CONTIA. 1>1 



Psammophis moniliger, Nordm. in Demid. Voy. Rugs. Mir. iii. 



p. 842, pi. iv. fig. 1 (1840). 



Coroneila collaris, Berth, in Wagn. Reise n. Kolchi*, p. 332 (1850). 

 Ablabes modestus. (tiinth. Cat. p. -21 (1858) ; Strauch, Schl. Rust. R. 



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

 Contia modesta, Cope, Proc.. Ac. Philad. 1862, p. 389. 

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



Icon. Gen. 15, pi. iv. tig. 1 (18( !'.). 

 Ablabe.s collaris, Straitch, 1. c. p. 41, pi. i. fig. 2. 

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



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



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



collaris, Blanf. 1. c. p. 405. 

 Ablabes modestus, var. seuiimaculata, Boettg. Ber. Offenb. Ver. Nat. 



1876, p. 68, pi. . 

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



1892, p. 147. 



Rostral a little broader than deep, just visible from above ; nasal 

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

 shorter than that between the praefrontals ; 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 lahials, 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. cJ (Sc. 15 ; V. 151 ; C. 62) Areshsky, Gov. St. Petersburg M us. 



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

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



&yg.(Sc.!7; V. 165; C. 75). 

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



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



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



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



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



150, 174; C. 67, 62, 66, 69, 



63). 

 f-9- $ & 7K- (Sc. 17 ; V. 185, Valley of the R. MacAndrew, 



1 -.4 ; C. 69, 78). Memder. Esq. [P.]. 



h. Yg. (Sc. 16 ; V. 168; C. 60). Ruins of Nine- W. K. Loftus, Esq. 



veh. [P.]. 



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



