14 G. A. BOULENGER 
fourth its distance from the frontal; internasals as long as the 
preefrontals ; frontal broader than the supraocular, once and 
two fifths as long as broad, longer than its distance from the 
end of the snout, shorter than the parietals; loreal as long as 
deep; one praeocular, not in contact with the frontal, with a 
subocular below it; two postoculars; temporals 2 + 2; nine 
upper labials, fifth and sixth entering the eye; four or five 
lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields; posterior 
chin-shields as long as the anterior and separated from each 
other by two or three series of scales. Scales smooth, in 19 
rows. Ventrals obtusely angulate laterally, 159; anal divided; 
subcaudals 76. Pale greyish above, with four longitudinal series 
of pale grey-brown spots, the two vertebral series formed of 
larger spots which are partly confluent; a blackish spot below 
the eye; lower parts white. 
Total length 200 millim.; tail 47. 
A single young specimen from Ogaden. 
The short body, with its low number of shields, characterizes 
this species, which is otherwise much like Z. ventrimaculatus and 
Z. rhodorhachis. With the exception of the long-tailed Z. korros, 
no other Old-World Zamenis is known to have fewer than 170 
ventrals (Z. gemonensis); and the two nearest allies of Z. brevis 
have 194 to 211 and 214 to 262 respectively. 
12. Psammophis punctulatus, D. & B. (Plate IV, fig. 1). 
This handsome snake was described in 1854 from a single 
specimen stated to be from Arabia; it has since been redisco- 
vered at Inhambane, Mozambique (Bianconi), at Taita, E. Africa 
(Peters) and in Somali-land (Boettger). The following description 
is drawn up from two specimens obtained at Ogaden by Capt. 
Bottego. 
Head very narrow ; snout once and a half to once and two 
thirds as long as the diameter of the eye, rounded, moderately 
prominent. Rostral a little broader than deep, visible from above ; 
internasals broader than long, nearly half as long as the pre- 
frontals; frontal very narrow except in front, nearly twice as 
