598 



MR. G. A. BOUIiENGER OX A 



Table (continued). 



[June 20, 



Sex. 



Total 



Lenglh. 



Length of 

 Tail. 



Scales. 



Ventrals. 



Oaudals. 



2 



500 



50 



19 



134 



27 





455 



45 



19 



134 



24 





450 



45 



19 



136 



24 





450 



45 



19 



142 



24 





440 



45 



19 



13(> 



27 





440 



40 



19 



134 



25 





430 



45 



19 



133 



23 





430 



45 



19 



135 



24 





430 



40 



21 



133 



26 



1 " 



420 



40 



19 



137 



23 





420 



40 



21 



135 



22 





410 



40 



19 



134 



25 





400 



40 



19 



137 



25 





400 



40 



19 



133 



25 





400 



40 



19 



136 



25 





390 



40 



19 



136 



28 





380 



40 



19 



130 



26 





375 



37 



19 



137 



25 





365 



35 



19 



136 



24 





320 



35 



19 



132 



26 





290 



28 



19 



135 



24 





285 



30 



19 



135 



25 





275 



30 



19 



135 



26 





275 



9 



20 



125 



? 





250 



27 



19 



139 



25 





205 



23 



19 



126 



25 





195 



20 



19 



134 



24 





190 



20 



19 



132 



24 



As regards the coloration, which has been very well desci'ibed 

 by Prof. V. Mehely, I nnist observe that Vipers generally vary so 

 much, both indiWdually and according to localities, that little 

 reliance is to be placed, for specific distinction, on that character. 

 V. Krsinii resembles more in colour V. renardi, Christoph \ from 

 the Kirghiz Steppes and Turkestan, than the true V. herus ; 

 it further agrees with this Russian species in showing no marked 

 sexual differences of colour. A series of large, dark brown, 

 black-edged, transverse, oval or rhomboidal spots, which may or 

 may not be confluent into a zigzag band, extends along the 



' Vipera renai-rli (Pelias renardi, Christoph, Bull. Mosc. xxxiv. 1861, ii. p. 599) 

 further agrees with F. tirsinii and differs from V. bcrus in the pointed 

 snout, the single apical shield in contact with the rostral, and the upper pre- 

 ocular usually in contact with the nasal. In V. beruii there are normally two 

 so-called apical shields ; in the wliole of my material I find only 7 specimens 

 (or lO^/o) with a single one. The diameter of the eye exceeds its distance from 

 the nostril ; the canthus rostralis is angular and raised, rendering the upper 

 surface of the snout concave; the sincipital shields usually well developed, the 

 frontal narrow and longer than the parietals ; 8 or 9 upper labials, foiu-th or 

 fourth and fifth below the eye. The scales are in 21 rows, strongly keeled, the 

 outer row smooth or faintlv keeled. Ventrals: cf, 130-144; ^ 137-150. 

 Subcaiidals : c? 32-36; 2 27-34. 



