3. viPBEA. 477 



Vipera limnsea, Bendisdoli, Giom. Fis. Stor. Nat. (2) ix. 1826^ 



p. 431. 

 trilamina, Millet, Faune Maine et Loire, ii. p. 651, pi. v. fig. 2 



(1828). 

 Pelias ohersea, MSnetr. Cat. Bais.v- 73 (1832). 

 Vipera torva, Lenz, Schlangenh. p. 133, pla. i.-iy. & viii. (1832). 

 Pelias prester, Steenstr. Nat. Tidsskr. Copenh. ii. 1839, p. 542. 



dorsalis, Ghray, Zool. Miscell. p. 71 (1842), 



Echidnoides trilamina, Mauduyt, Herp. Vienne, p. 29 (1844). 

 Vipera pelias, Soubeiran, De la Viph^e, p. 30 (1855), and Bull. &e, 



Acclim. X. 1863, p. 397. 

 berus, part, Strauch, Syn. Viper, p. 32 (1869) and Schl. Buss, 



JR. p. 206 (1873) ; Tournev. Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 1881, p. 63, 



pi. i. figs. 723 & 1030; Camerano, Mon. Ofid. Ital, Viper, p. 35, 



pi. i. figs. 8, 19, 20, 21, 26-29 (1888) ; Mihely, Zool. Anz. 1893, 



p. 186. 

 berus seoanei, Lataste, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 1879, p. 132 ; 



Tournev. I. v. p. 41, pi. i. figs, u, v, z. 



Snout broadly rounded or truncate, with strong eanthus which. i& 

 very rarely slightly raised ; eye usually larger in males than in 

 females, ite vertical diameter equal to or greater than its distance 

 from the mouth. Eostral as deep as broad, or slightly broader than 

 deep, or a little deeper than broad, not or but scarcely visible from 

 above, in contact with two apical shields, rarely with one ; frontal 

 and parietal shields usually distinct, the former as Jong as broad or 

 a little longer than broad, usually shorter than its distance from the 

 rostral, as long as or a little shorter than the parietals ; supraocular 

 well developed, sometimes in contact with the frontal, usually 

 separated from it by a series of two to four scales ; 6 to 13 scales 

 round the eye, usually 8 to 10 ; • the upper praeocular only excep- 

 tionally in contact with the nasal ; one, rarely two, series of scales 

 between the eye and the labials ; nasal single, not or but slightly 

 larger than the eye, separated from the rostral by a naso-rostral : 

 temporal scales smooth, rarely feebly keeled ; 6 to 10 upper laMals, 

 usually 8 or 9 ; three or four (rarely five) lower labials in contact 

 with the chin-shields. Scales in 21 rows (exceptionally 19 or 23), 

 strongly keeled, outer row smooth or feebly keeled. Ventrals 132- 

 150 (usually 137-147) in cJ , 132-158 (usually 140-150) in $ ; 

 anal entire ; subcaudals 33-46 (usually 35-40) in c? , 24-38 

 (usually 28-33) in J . Coloration very variable : grey, yellowish, 

 olive, brown, or red above, usually with a dark undulating or zigzag 

 band along the spine and a series of lateral spots ; a /\ -, ^^ -, or 

 yV. "Shaped dark marking on the back of the head, and a dark 

 postocular streak ; upper labials whitish or yellowish, the anterior 

 at least edged with brown or black ; grey to brown or black beneath, 

 uniform or spotted with darker or lighter ; end of tail usually yeUow 

 or coral-red. Some specimens entirely black, either through 

 darkening of the ground-colour ( 5 ) or through extension of the 

 black markings ( cJ ). Males usually distinguishable from females 

 bj' darker, deep black markings and lighter ground-colour. 

 Total length.: d , 660 millim. ; taU 90. ? , 700 ; 75. 



