502 VIPERID 2. 
. Head very distinct from neck, covered with small juxtaposed or 
feebly imbricate scales; eye moderate or small, with vertical pupil, 
separated from the labials by small scales; nostril directed upwards. 
and outwards, in a small single or divided nasal. Body cylindrical ; 
scales keeled, with apical pits, in 23-35 rows ; dorsal scales forming 
straight longitudinal series, with club- or anchor-shaped keels not- 
extending to the extremity of the scale; lateral scales smaller, 
oblique, pointing downwards, with serrated keels; ventrals with an 
obtuse keel on each side. Tail short; subcaudals in two rows. 
North Africa, Arabia, Palestine. 
1, Cerastes cornutus. 
Coluber cornutus, Linn, in Hom, Reise Palest. p. 315 (1762), 
—— cerastes, Linn. S. N. i. p. 876 (1766); Ells, Phil. Trans. lvi. 
1767, p. 287, pl. xiv.; Shaw, Nat. Miscell. iv. pl. cxxii., and Zool, 
iii. p. 885, pl. cili. (1802). 
Cerastes cornutus, Forsk. Deser. Anim. p.ix (1775) ; Bouleng. Trans, 
Zool, Soc. xiii. 1891, p. 155; Werner, Verh. xool.-bot. Ges. Wien, 
xliv. 1894, p. 86. | 
Vipera cerastes, Latr. Rept. iii. 818, pl. —. fig. 2 (1802) ; Daud. 
ept. vi. p. 178, pl. lxxiv. fig. 1 (1803) ; Z. Geoffr. Deser. Egypte, 
Rept. p. 155, pl. vi. fig. 8 (1827) ; Schleg. Phys. Serp. ii. p 585, 
pl. xxi. figs. 12 & 18 (1837) ; Strauch, Erp. Alg. p. 72 (1862), and 
Syn. Viper. p. 108 (1869) ; Jan, Icon. Gén. 45, pl. v. fig. 1 (1874). 
Cerastes hasselquistii, Gray, Zool. Miscell. p. 70 (1842), and Cat. 
p. 28 (1849); Tristram, Faun. Palest. p: 147 (1884). 
Echidna atricauda, part., Dum. § Bibr. vii. p. 1480 (1854). 
Cerastes egyptiacus, Dum. § Bibr. t. c. p, 1440, pl. lxxviii. d. fig. 3. 
Vipera avicenner, part., Jan, J. c. fig. 3. 
Snout very short and broad. Rostral small, twice to thrice as 
broad as deep; head covered with small tubercularly keeled scales 
of unequal size above, 15 to 21 across from eye to eye; a 
erect, ribbed, horn-like scale often present above the eye; 14 to 18 
scales round the eye; 4 or 5 series of scales between the eye and 
the labials; nostril in a single small shield, separated from its 
fellow by six to eight longitudinal series of scales and from the 
rostral by two or three (rarely one); 12 to 15 upper labials; three 
lower labials in contact with the chin-shields. Scales in 27-85 
rows. Ventrals 130-165, with very feeble lateral keel; anal entire; 
subcaudals 25-42, the posterior usually more or less distinctly keeled. 
Pale yellowish brown or grey above, with or without brown spots, 
forming four or six regular longitudinal series, the two middle ones 
sometimes confluent, forming cross-bars; a more or less distinct 
oblique dark streak behind the eye; lower parts white; end of tail 
sometimes black. 
Total length 720 millim. ; tail 90. 
Northern border of the Sahara, Egypt, Nubia, Arabia, Southern 
Palestine. 
a, é er 30; V. 133; Biskra, J, Brenchley, Esq. [P.]. 
