596 ME. G. A. BOULENGEE ON A [June 20, 



9. On a little-known European Viper, Vipera ursinii, Bonap. 

 By G. A. BouLENGER, F.Z.S. 



[Eeceived June IG, 1893.] 

 (Plate LI.) 



About a year ago I received from my friend Dr. F. Werner, of 

 Vienna, a remarkable Viper from Laxenburg, which differed very 

 considerably from Vipera herus in its smaller eye, the small number 

 of rows of scales and of ventral and caudal shields, the shape of 

 the head, and the coloration. I requested my esteemed corre- 

 spondent to procure further specimens from the same locality, and 

 he was so kind as to send me live more, which showed clearly that 

 the differences by which I was struck were not individual. Quite 

 recently I received from Hr. Henkel, of Vienna, numerous 

 specimens from Laxenburg, which removed all my doubts as to 

 the specific distinction of this form from V. herus. Almost at the 

 same time the number of the ' Zoologischer Anzeiger ' for May 29th 

 came into my hands, containing the description of it by Prof, von 

 Mehely as a new variety of V. berus, from Rakos, on the left bank 

 of the Danube, near Budapest, which he names var. ral-osiensis. 

 This name 1 therefore at once adopted, regarding the snake, how- 

 ever, as a distinct species, not as a variety '. In fact Prof, von 

 Mehely seems to me to singularly underrate the taxonomic value 

 of its characters in placing it as a variety between the typical form 

 and the var. prester, which is merely a melanism of the former. It 

 is true, however, that he appears to have overlooked two of the most 

 important characters of the new form, viz. the small eye and the 

 low number of ventral shields, although he draws attention to the 

 number and shape of the dorsal scales. 



I will now proceed to the description of this remarkable Viper, 

 which should be called 



ViPEKA UKSINII. 



Pelias chersea vel ursinii, Bonap. Icon. Faun. Ital. (1835). 

 Pelias herus, part., Bonap. Amph. Eur., Mem. Ace. Tor. (2) ii. 

 1839, p. 440. 



Pelias herus, var. ursinii, Cope, Proc. Ac. Philad. 1859, p. 342. 



1 



On searching through the literature I soon after became conTinced of the 

 identity of Ibis V. rakosiensis with the " Marasso alpino" of Bonaparte, a 

 species described from young specimens obtained by Signor Orsini in the 

 Abruzzi, near the province Ascoli. I am confirmed in this conclusion by my 

 friend Count Peracca, who has very kindly examined at my request the two 

 specimens from the Gran Sasso preserved in the Museum of the University of 

 Turin, and mentioned by Camerano under V. hems. These, he informs me, 

 have the eje very small, 19 rows of scales, 124 and 128 ventrals, 30 and 28 

 subcaudals. Bonaparte's specimens, one of which is preserved in the Museum 

 of the Academy of Philadelphia, are stated to have 18 scales, 124^126 ventrals, 

 and 28-30 subcaudals.— July 27, 1893. 



