170. lAPHKOMETOPON. 151 



170. TAPHROMETOPON. 



Taphrometopon, Brandt, Bull. Ac. St. P6tersb. iii. 1838, p. 243; 



Peters, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1861, p. 48; Strauch, Schl. Russ. R. 



p. 186 (1873). 

 Chorisodon, Bum. Sf Bibr. M&m. Ac. So. xxiii. 1853, p. 494, and JErp. 



G4n. vii. p. 901 (1864). 

 Psammopliis, part., Jan, Elenco sist. Ofid. p. 90 (1863). 



Maxillary teeth 14, very unequal in size, the middle ones much 

 enlarged, but not separated from the rest ; the solid teeth followed, 

 after an interspace, by one or two very large grooved fangs ; 

 anterior mandibular teeth strongly enlarged. Head narrow, dis- 

 tinct from neck, with raised canthus and projecting supraocular ; 

 eye large, with round pupil ; nostril crescentie, between two nasals ; 

 frontal narrow. Body cylindrical ; scales smooth, some feebly 

 grooved, with apical pits, in 17 rows ; ventrals rounded. Tail long ; 

 subcaudals in two rows. 



Central Asia and Persia. 



1. Taphrometopon liueolattun. 



Coluber trabalis {mm Pall.), lAcMenst. in Eversm. Reise, p. 146 



(1823). 

 (Taphrometopon) lineolatus, Brandt, Bull. Ac. St. PMersb. iii. 



1838, p. 243. 

 Chorisodon sibiricum, Dum. Sf Bibr. vii. p. 902 (1854). 

 Taphrometopon lineolatum, Peters, Pi-oc, Zool. Soo. 1861, p. 48, figs. ; 



Strauch, Schl. Russ. R. p. 185, pi. v. (1873), and Voy. Przewalski, 



Rept. p. 51 (1876) ; Blanf. Zool. E. Pers. p. 422 (1876), and 2nd 



Tarh. Miss., Rept. p. 23 (1878). 

 Psammophis dorise, Jan, in De Filippi, Viag, Pers. p. 356 (1866). 



Snout moderately prominent, grooved above and on the sides. 

 Eostral broader than deep, just visible from above; internasals 

 much shorter than the praefrontals, separated from the loreal by 

 the nasal ; frontal very narrow except in front, nearly twice as long 

 as broad, as long as or a little longer than its distance from the end 

 of the snout, as long as or a little shorter than the parietals ; loreal 

 about twice as long as deep ; one prseocular, forming a suture with 

 the frontal; two or three postoculars; temporals 2+2 or 3; nine 

 upper labials, fourth, fifth, and sixth entering the eye ; five lower 

 labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are shorter 

 than the posterior. Scales in 17 rows. Ventrals 175-197 ; anal 

 divided ; subcaudals 72-107. Yellowish or pale grey above, with 

 longitudinal series of blackish dots or with four olive or brown, 

 black-edged stripes, the median pair of stripes prolonged to between 

 the eyes, the outer pair to the nostrils, passing through the eyes ; a 

 dark median streak from the interorbital region to the occiput ; 

 upper lip white, the anterior shields sometimes with a blackish spot ; 



