SNAKES IN QUETTA MUSEUM. 1037 



1, p. 416). The anchor-shaped mark on the head mentioned by Mr. 

 Boulenger was rather disconnected in one specimen. 



The dentition is peculiar. There are 8 subequal teeth in the maxillse, 

 then a gap followed by two ungrooved enlarged teeth. The palatine 

 teeth are 5 in number. There are no pterygoid teeth. The mandible 

 supports 12 on one side, and 11 on the other. 



Contia walteri (Boettger). 



Two specimens from Quetta and Sharigh are without doubt this species. 

 In both the heads are quite black above, and the body has zebra-like 

 black stripes anteriorly which soon break up into spots, and then disappear 

 posteriorly. The ventrals are 214, and the subcaudals 79 in one example. 

 In the other damage made counting impossible. The anal is divided in 

 both. The scales are 15 two heads-lengths behind the head, 15 in mid-body, 

 and 15 or 13 two heads-lengths before the anus. In the specimen where 

 the rows reduced to 13 the numbers fell owing to a fusion of the 3rd and 

 4th rows above the ventrals. This was a <5 example. The loreal was absent 

 in both. The suture between the internasals was subequal to that between 

 the prefrontals in one example, greater in the other. The breadth of the 

 frontal was twice that of the supraocular in one example, and about two- 

 fifths greater in the other. In other respects the specimens agree well with 

 Mr. Boulenger's description (Catalogue Vol. II, p. 264). 



Contia mcmahoni. spec. ? nov. 



There are four specimens of a little snake of the above genus which I 

 cannot doubt is entitled to rank as a species distinct from any described in 

 Mr. Boulenger's Catalogue, and which I cannot find described elsewhere. 

 These are from Quetta, Loralai, Mach and Spintangi. Three of these are, 

 I presume, adults, and are nearly a foot long, the fourth is a young speci- 

 men 6 or 7 inches in length. 



Description. Rostral. — touches 6 shields. Internasals. — Two, the suture 

 between them equal to or greater than that between the prefrontals. 

 Prosfrontals. — Two, in contact with internasal, nasal, 2nd supralabial, prse- 

 ocular, supraocular, and frontal. Frontal. — Touches 6 shields, the supra- 

 ocular sutures rather the longest, the breadth fully twice that of the 

 supraoculars. Nasal. — Entire. loreal. — Absent. Prceocular. — One. Post- 

 ocular. — One. Temporals. — 1 + 1. Supralabials . — 7, the 3rd and 4th 

 touching the eye. Infralabials. — 5, the 5th largest, and in contact with 2 

 scales behind, the 5th only touching the posterior sublinguals. Costals. — 

 13 two heads-lengths behind the head, 15 in . mid-body, and 13 two heads- 

 lengths before the anus. In all the specimens these scales are 15 in the 

 neck, but soon become 13 by the absorption of the 4th row above the 

 ventrals. After one or two heads-lengths the rows become 15 again by the 

 3rd row dividing, and remain 15 till the hinder part of the body, where 

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