474 YIPERIDiE. 



border of the nostril, its vertical diameter equal to or less than it* 

 distance from the mouth. Eostral as deep as broad or slightly- 

 deeper than broad, visible from above, in contact with one, rarely 

 with two apical shields ; distinct frontal and parietal shields, the 

 former once and a half to once and two thirds (rarely once and one 

 third) as long as broad, as long as its distance from the rostral or 

 the end of the snout, and nearly always longer than the parietals -^ 

 supraocular well developed, separated from the frontal by one to- 

 three shields ; 6 to 10 scales round the eye, usually 8 6r 9, the 

 upper praeooular usually in contact with the nasal ; a single series- 

 of scales between the eye and the labials ; nasal single, separated 

 from the rostral by a naso-rostral ; temporal scales smooth ; 6 to 9 

 upper labials, usually 7 or 8 ; 3 (rarely 4) lower labials in contact 

 with the chin-shields. Scales in 19 (rarely 20 or 21) rows, strongly 

 keeled on the back, less strongly on the sides, outer row smooth, 

 Ventrals 120-135 in c? , 125-142 in $ ; anal entire ; subcaudals 

 30-37 in d" , 20-28 in $ . Yellowish or pale brown above, grey 

 or dark brown on the sides, sometimes uniform brown : a vertebral 

 series of more or less regular, transversely oval, elliptic or rhom- 

 boidal dark brown, black-edged spots, some or all of which may 

 be confluent and form an undulous or zigzag band ; two or three 

 longitudinal series of dark brown or black spots along the sides,, 

 the lowermost on the outer row of scales; small dark spots and 

 one or two /V-shaped markings on the upper surface of the 

 head; an oblique dark stripe from the eye to the angle of the 

 mouth ; rostral and labials uniform white, rarely with a few small 

 blackish spots, or with brownish borders ; chin and throat yellowish 

 white, rarely with some blackish spots ; ventrals and subcaudals 

 black, with transverse series of small white spots, grey, checkered 

 with black and white, or whitish with small round black spots > 

 tail but rarely tipped with yellow. No sexual differences of 

 coloration. 



Total length : c? 420 millim. ; tail 55. ? 500 ; 50. 



S.E. France (Basses-Alpes) ; Italy (Abruzzi) ; Istria (Veglia Id.) j. 

 Mountains of Bosnia ; Plains of Lower Austria ; Hungary. 



a. 2 (V. 134 ; C. 25). Basses-Alpes. M. E. Honnorat [P.]. 



b-ff, h. S (V. 130, 131, Laxenburg, near Dr. F. Werner [E.l. 



126; 0. 33, 30, 35) Vienna. 



& 2 (V. 134, 133, 



134, 132 ; 0. 24, 25, 



26, 27). 

 i, 7c. Many specimens, Laxenburg. Hr. F. Henkel [E.l. 



cJ (V. 120-135 ; 0. 



30-37) & ? (V. 125- 



142 ; 0. 20-28). 

 i. $ (V. 134; C. 24). Pavndorf , near Briick. Hr. F. Henkel [E.l 

 m. 2 (V. 137; 0.24). Rakos, near Buda- Prof. L. v. Mghely [E.l 



Pest. 

 n. 2 skull. Laxenburg. 



