2% COLUBRID. 
2nd Yark,. Miss., ~ p. 28 (1878) ; W. L. Sclater, Journ, As. Soe. 
Beng. \x. 1891, p. 240. 
Tropidonotus tantalus, Lichw., 1. ce. p. 173. 
gracilis, Zichw. 1. ¢. 
Coluber reticulatus, Ménétr. Cat. Rais. p. 71 (1832). 
Natrix gabina, Bonap. Faun. Ital. (1833), 
tessellata, Bonap. l.c. (1834), : 
Tropidonotus viperinus, part., Schley. Phys. Serp. ii. p. 325, pl. xii. 
tigs. 14 & 15 (1837); ra § Baby vit p- 560 (1804), P 
fo (Trogeceneae) elaphoides, Brandt, Bull. Ac. St. Pétersb. iii. 
1838, p. § 
Tropics scutatus (non Pail.), Lichw. Faun, Casp.-Caue. p. 108, 
pl. xxiii. 
—— tessellatus, Berthold, in Wagn, Reise n. Kolchis, p, 335 (1850) ; 
Jan, Arch, f. Nat. 1859, p. 274; Jeitteles, Verh. zool.-bot. Ges. 
Wien, xii. 1862, p. 283; Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac. 1863, p. 534; Jan, 
Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. iii. 1865, p. 219; Noll, Zool. Gart, 1869, 
p. 299; Fatio, Vert. Suisse, iii. p. 165, pl. i. (1872); Steind. Verh. 
zovl.-bot. Ges. Wien, xxiv. i874, 47); De Betta, Faun. Ttal., 
Rett, Anf. p.47 (1874); Schreib. He rp. Eur. p. 231 (1875); Boettg. 
Ber. Senck. Ges, 1879-80, p. 160; Bedriaga, Bull. Soc. Nat. Mose. 
1881, p. 290; Leydig, Abh. Senck. Ges. xiii. 1883, p. 174; Boettg. 
in Radde, Faun, Casp.-Geb. p. 71 (1886) ; Noll, Zool. Gart, 1888, 
e 242; Boettg. Zool. Jahrb, iii, 1888, p. 984 ; Camerano, Mon. Ofid. 
tal., Colubr. p.23 (1891); Méhely, Beitr. Mon. Kronstadt, Herp. 
p- 35 (1892), 
oe Pecans 3c part., Blyth, Journ. As. Soc, Beng. xxiii. 1855, 
— tessellatus, var. flavescens, Werner, Verh, zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, 
xli. 1891, p. 766. 
Eye rather small. Rostral broader than deep, visible from ~ 
above; nasal usually semidivided; internasals usually as long 
as broad or longer, subtriangular, truncate in front, as long or 
nearly as long as the prefrontals ; frontal once and a half to twice 
as long as broad, as long as or a little shorter than its distance from 
the end of the snout, shorter than the parietals; loreals as deep as 
long or longer ; two (rarely one or three) preoculars, with or without 
a small subocular below ; three postoculars, often with one or two — 
suboculars below; temporals 14+2; eight (rarely seven) upper 
labials ; fourth (third) or fourth and fifth entering the eye; five 
(rarely four) lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields, 
which are shorter than the posterior. Scales strongly keeled, of 
outer row smooth or feebly keeled, in 19 rows. Ventrals 160-197 ; 
anal divided ; subcaudals 48-86. Olive or olive-grey above, uniform 
or with dark spots usually arranged quincuncially ; a more or less 
distinct A-shaped dark band on the nape; upper labials yellowish, 
with dark sutures; lower parts yellow or red, marbled or checkered 
with black, or nearly entirely black. 
Total length 1058 millim.; tail 200, 
Italy, Switzerland south of the Alps, Middle Rhine and Moselle 
Valleys, Bohemia, and the whole of South-eastern Europe; South- 
western and Central Asia. 
