1891.] TRANSCASPIAN REPTILES. 631 



Ophiomorous brevipes, Blanf. 



This species, the type of Blauford's genus Zygnopsis or Zygnidopsis, 

 was established upon a single specimen, with the head slightly 

 injured, obtained at Sjiadatabad, a village about 100 miles south-west 

 of Karman, on the road to Sliiraz ; this specimen, figured iu ths 

 ' Zoology of Eastern Persia,' pi. vii. fig. 4, is preserved in the 

 Calcutta Museum. In 1879, two specimens from the Southern 

 Coast of Persia or Baluchistan were referred by Blanford to the 

 same species ^ A few years later, when preparing the Catalogue of 

 Lizards, I came to the conclusion that the latter specimens belong to 

 a species distinct from O. brevipes, for which I proposed the name of 

 O. blanfordii, and this view is now fully confirmed on the rediscovery, 

 at Puli Hatun, of the true O. brevipes. 10 specimens were sent by 

 M. Eylandt. They differ at first sight from O. blanfordii in the 

 less depressed, more conical snout, and the somewhat larger eye; 

 they further differ in having 22 scales round the body instead of 20, 

 and the interparietal as broad as long instead of longer than broad. 

 Nostril nearer the rostral than to the anterior loreal ; frontonasal 

 two fifths to one half the length of the frontal, which is a little 

 longer than broad ; usually, only the first supraocular forms a 

 suture with the prsefrontal, but sometimes the second also, as in 

 O. blanfordii ; interparietal as long as broad or a little broader ; 

 a pair of enlarged nuclials may be present ; fifth upper labial largest ; 

 two azygous postmentals. Length of hind limb 3§ to 4| times in 

 the distance between the shoulder and the thigh. 



Coloration as described and figured by Blanford. The largest 

 specimen measures 95 millim. from snout to vent. 



Eryx jaculus, L. 



All the specimens I have examhied fall into Boettger's var. 

 miliaris. Pall., and I record the following numbers from four 

 specimens in the British Museum. Under a is given the number 

 of scales from eye to eye, b from eye to nasal, c round the eye, 

 d upper labials, e across middle of body, f ventrals, g subcaudals. 



1. Ashaba.A{Radde) 7 



2. „ {Eylandt) 7 



3. „ {Warsaw Mas.) 8 



4. Puli Hatun {Eylandt) . 9 



I find the following numbers iu three specimens from E. 

 Turkestan : — 



rs 4 11 11 45 183 21 



l\i%\ {Lansdell) ■! 9 4 12-11 11-10 43 185 20 



[9 3-4 10 10-11 45 172 20 



Lycodon striatus, Shaw. 



A perfectly typical example, with 177 ventrals and 66 subcaudals, 

 from Puli Hatun, extends to Transcaspia the range of this common 



1 Both are now in the British Museum, thanks to Mr. Blanforcl's generosity. 



