1896.] A. Alcock & F. Vmn—Afghan-Balnrh RppHJia. 605 



Fourteen or fifteen npper labiala slifirhtly increasinjy in size from 

 before backwards : sixteen to eighteen lower labials, the first throe or 

 four times as large as the second, the rest slightly decreasing in size 

 from before backwaids: a pair of chin-shields, separated, especially 

 |)Osteriorly, by a distensible scalelesa space : mental acutely triangular. 



Scales of the body strongly keeled, arranged in very regular 

 transverse rings, 23 to 24 in each ring, not including the abdominal 

 scute. Although the scales are imbricate, yet their imbrication is 

 rendered obscure by the presence of a good deal of naked skin both 

 between thq rings and between the individual scales of each ring. 



Ventrals about 140 to about 150, conspicuously angled on either 

 side. 



Tail about half again as long as the head, with sub-caudala in two 

 rows, on about the distal half becoming quite similar to the rather 

 strongly imbricate scales on the other surfaces of the posterior half 

 of the tail. The tip of the tail is formed by a single conical scute. 



Colours in spirit : dull dirty sandy grey, with a row of small black 

 and white blotches (seldom involving more than 2 or 3 scales) along 

 each side, these being much more distinct in the young : some dark 

 peppering above and at ^he sides, also most marked in the young. 



The length of the largest perfect specimen is about two feet. 



Six specimens. 



[Amirchali, 30th March, 3300 feet, Zeh, 1st April, 2500 feet, 

 Drana Koh, 2ud April, Robat I., May, 4300 feet. The largest, measur- 

 ing 25"5 in., was heard making a very loud continuous hissing, as we 

 left Camp Drana Koh at night; and it raised its head six or eight 

 inches from the ground and struck at my stick when, after searching 

 for it with a lantern, I advanced to kill it. 



All were found on sand with which their colours harmonized well. 

 In confinement thoy fed freely on lizards, but did not live long. 



In life they were of a rich reddish sandy brown colour, and the 

 spots along either side of the back were dark brown with a nearly- 

 complete white marginal ring.] 



31. EcMs carinata (Schueid.) 



Echis carinatus, Eoulenger, Brit. Mus. Cat. Snakes, Vol. TIT. p. 505. 



Echis carinata, Boulenger, Faun. "Brit. Tnd , Kept., p. 422. Matschie. Zdol. 

 Jahrbuc]i.,Syst., etc., V. 1890-91, p. 617. Peracca, Boll. Mus. Tormo, IX. 1894, 

 No. 167, p. 17. 



[Common along the line of march from Lijji Talao to the Persian 



Frontier.] 



