171. PSAMMOPHIS. 159 



4. PsammopMs punctulatus. 



Psammophis punctulatus, Bum. ^ Bihr. vii. p. 897 (1854) ; Peters, 

 jReise n. Mossamb. iii. p. 123 (1882) ; Boettg. Zool. Anz. 1893, 

 p. 119 ; Bouleng. Ann. Mm. Genova, (2) xv. 1895, p. 14, pi. iv. 

 fig. 1, and Proc. Zool. Soe. 1895, p. 537. 



Dendrophis furcatus, Bianconi, Spec. Zool. Mosamh. p. 276, pi. xiii. 

 (1859). 



Psammophis punctulatus, var. trivirsatus, Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac. 

 1878, p. 206. 



Snout once and a half to once and two thirds as long as the eye. 

 Rostral a little broader than deep, visible from above; nostril 

 between two or three shields ; internasals nearly half as long as 

 the prsefrontals ; frontal nearly twice as long as broad, much 

 narrower, in the middle, than the supraocular, as long as or a little 

 longer than its distance from the end of the snout, as long as or 

 slightly shorter than the parietals ; loreal nearly twice to twice and 

 a half as ]ong as deep ; one praeocular, in contact with the frontal and 

 with the third, fourth, and fifth upper labials ; two postoeulars ; tem- 

 porals 2 4- 2 or 2+3 ; nine (exceptionally eight) upper labials, third 

 deepest, fifth and sixth (or fourth and fifth) entering the eye, sixth 

 (or fifth) largest, as long as the eye ; five lower labials in contact 

 with the anterior chin-shields, which are shorter than the posterior. 

 Scales in 17 rows. Ventrals 177-190 ; anal divided ; subcaudals 

 130-158. Yellow or brownish white above, greenish or greyish on 

 the sides and beneath, head and nape olive-grey or reddish, speckled 

 with black ; three black stripes along the body, the median broadest 

 and bifurcating on the neck, its branches extending, as brown 

 streaks, to the end of the snout after passing through the eyes ; the 

 stripes on the body may be reduced to the vertebral. 



Total length 1660 mUlim. ; tail 580. 



Arabia ; East Africa, from Somaliland to Mozambique. 



a. cJ (V. 185 ; 0. 146). Ogaden, Somaliland. Oapt. Bottego [0.] ; 



Maiquia G. Doria 

 [P.]. 



b. $ (V. 184 ; 0. 136). Lake Rudolf. Dr. Donaldson Smith 



[0.]. 



5. Psammophis trigrammus. 



Psammophis trigrammus, Giinth. Ann. ^ Mag. N. H. (3) xv. 1865, 

 p. 95, pi. ii. fig. E ; Bouleng. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1895, p. 538. 



Snout twice as long as the diameter of the eye. Eostral broader 

 than deep, visible from above ; nostril between three shields ; inter- 

 nasals about half as long as the praefrontals ; frontal twice as long 

 as broad, half as broad, in the middle, as the supraocular, as long 

 as its distance from the end of the snout, a little shorter than the 

 parietals ; loreal thrice as long as deep ; two prseoculars, upper not 

 quite reaching the frontal ; two postoeulars ; temporals 1 -|- 1 or 

 2+1; nine upper labials, third deeper than second and fourth, 

 third, fourth, and fifth in contact with the prseocular, fifth and sixth 

 entering the eye ; five lower labials in contact with the anterior 



