On a new Species of Znmenis from Egypt. 439 



LXII. — On a new Species o/Zaraenis and a new Species of 

 Bufo/>-om Egypt. By L)r. John Anderson, F.R.S. 



Zamenis Rogersi. 



Tills snake is allied to Z. rhodorhachis, Jan, but differs 

 from it in its body being less slender, the number of ventral 

 and subcaudal shields fallinii; below the range that occurs in 

 that species, in which the former shields vary from 214 to 

 262 and the latter from 113 to 154, whereas in Z. Rogersi 

 the vcntrals, in five specimens, range only from 195 to 201, 

 and the subcaudals from 95 to 105. It is also distinguished 

 from Z. rhodorhachis J Jan, by the rostral shield being con- 

 siderably broader than high, as its height only equals about 

 one half of its breadth ; whereas in Z. rhodorhachis the height 

 of the rostral equals two thirds of its breadth or even more. 

 The head of Z. Rogersi is broader than in Z. rhodorhachis^ 

 and its snout is not so pointed as in that species. The frontal 

 is considerably longer than the interval between its anterior 

 margin and the end of the snout. The temporals are 2 + 2, 

 rarely 2 + 3, which is the reverse of what occurs in the species 

 just mentioned. In the other details of its head-shields, with 

 the exception of the prefrontals, which are occasionally 

 united into one shield (two specimens from Shaloof, near 

 Suez) , and in the number of scales round the body it resembles 

 Z. rhodorhachis. 



It is also separated from Jan's Zamenis by its coloration. 

 A longitudinal line of moderately large, more or less round, 

 olive-brown spots commences behind the head, with a lateral 

 series of smaller sj)Ots alternating with them. The two 

 series, as they are traced backwards, become confluent about 

 the middle of the length of the snake, behind which the colour 

 of the upper surface is uniform olive-brown or nearly so. 

 '^I'hc spots are separated from one another, and also the more 

 or less transverse bands formed by their confluence, by narrow 

 yellowish-white areas. The upper surface of the head is 

 brown, with very obscure dark markings. The rostral region 

 is yellowish orange-brown, and a narrow somewhat obscure 

 dark band occurs behind the nostril, followed by a bright 

 yellow, almost orange, band before the eye. A dark oblique 

 band below the eye. An orange band occurs behind the eye, 

 succeeded by a broad dusky band crossing the temporals and 

 the last upper labials, with a short yellow band behind it. 

 The sides of the neck are suffused with orange. The under- 

 ])arts are j^ellowish white. A somewhat obscure dusky spot 

 occasionally occupies the angle of every third or fourth 



