TAEBOPHIS OBTUSUS. 283 
Taebophis obtusus, Reuss. (Plate XXXIV. fig. 4.) 
Couleuvre, Savigny, Descr. de PEgypte, Hist. Nat. i. ? 1829, Suppl. pi. v. (1812) figs. 1 l-l s. 
Coluber obtusus, Reuss, Mus. Senck. i. 1834, p. 137. 
Dipsas agijptiacus, Scblegel, Phys. Serp. 1837, ii. p. 274 ; Abbild. 1844, pi. xlv. figs. 19 & 20. 
Dipsas (Telescopus) cegyptiaca, Riippell, Mus. Senck. iii. 1815, p. 311. 
Te/escopus obtusus, Dum. & Bibr. vii. 1854, p. 1056; Peters, Mon. Berl. Ak. 1862, p. 274; 
Gasco, Viagg. in Egitto, pt. ii. 1876, p. 120; F. Midler, Verh. nat. Ges. Basel, vii. 1882, 
p. 152; Mocquard, Mem. Cent. Soc. Philom. 1888, p. 133*. 
Dipsas (Telescopus) obtusus, Boettger, Zool. Anz. 1893, no. 446, p. 119. 
Dipsas obtusa, Werner, Verb, zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, xlv. 1895, p. 193 ; Tornier, Kriechtb. Deutscb- 
Ost-Afr. 1897, p. 84. 
Tarbophis obtusus, Blgr. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, (2) xv. (xxxv.) 1895, p. 15 ; Anderson, Proc. Zool. 
Soc. 1895, p. 658; Blgr. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, (2) xvi. (xxxvi.) 1896, p. 553; op. cit. (2) 
xvii. (xxxvii.) 1896-97, p. 20 & p. 279; Cat. Snakes B. M. iii. 1896, p. 52. 
Tarbophis dhara, Anderson, Herpet. Arabia & Egypt, 1896, p. 108. 
1 $ . Beltim. Surgeon Lieutenant-Colonel Sir J. G. Rogers, D.S.O., K.C.M.G. 
1 $ . Maballet el Kebir. George Kent, Esq. 
4 adol. and juv. Margin of desert, Gizeh. 
1 ? and 1 juv. Tel el Amarna. Professor Flinders Petrie, D.C.L. 
1 juv. Tel el Amarna. 
1 juv. Assuan. Brigadier-General D. F. Lewis. 
Head very distinct from the neck ; snout short, broad, and rounded. Rostral broader 
than high, only slightly visible from above ; internasals somewhat broader than long, 
equalling about two-thirds of the length of the prefrontals ; prefrontals little more 
than one-half the length of the frontal ; frontal about one-third longer than the 
distance between its anterior border and the end of the snout, its extreme breadth 
falling short of its length by about one-fourth, sides more or less concave, generally 
more or less in contact with the prseocular, but sometimes excluded from it ; parietals 
usually longer than the frontal, longer than broad, their breadth equalling about two- 
thirds of their length ; occasionally a small shield behind them ; nasal divided ; loreal 
about twice as long as deep ; one prseocular ; two postoculars ; temporals 2 + 2, 2 + 3, 
and 3 + 3, and rarely and asymmetrically 1 + 2, 2 + 4, or 3 + 4. Generally 10 upper 
labials, not unfrequently 9, rarely 11 ; usually the 4th, 5th, and 6th entering the orbit, 
occasionally the 3rd, 4th, and 5th, and rarely the 4th and 5th, and the 5th, 6th, and 7th. 
Chin-shields small ; anterior pair much the larger, in contact with three to five labials ; 
posterior pair scale-like, widely apart. 21 to 23 scales round the body, rarely 19. 
203-274 ventrals ; anal divided or single; 66-81 subcauclals. 
General colour uniform purplish brown or greyish brown, or marked more or 
less obscurely with numerous narrow, cross, brown markings, becoming indistinct 
2 2 
