500 VIPEEID^. 



d. 2 (Sc. 37; V. 131: . W.Africa. Zoological Society, 

 C. 17). 



e. Yg. (Sc. 33 ; V. 125 ; W. Africa. 

 C. 18). 



/. Ad., stffd. "W. Africa. Zoological Society.. 



f?. Hgr. $ (Sc. 41; V. Ushambola, Zanzi- Sir J. Kirk [C.]. 



130 ; 0. 23). bar. 



h. Skeleton of/. 



8. Bitis uasicoruis. 



Coluber nasicomis, Shaw, Nat. Miscell. iii. pi. xciv., and Zool. iii.- 



p. 397, pi. civ. (1802). 

 Vipera nasicomis, Baud. Rept. viii. p. 322 (1803) ; Reinh. Vidensh, 



SekJo. Skrift. x. 1843, p. 273, pi. iii. figs. 8-10 ; Schleg. Versl. Ah.. 



Amsterd. iii. 1856, p. 315 ; Strauch, Syn. Viper, p. 88 (1869) ; Jan, 



Icon. Q6n. 45, pi. iv. figs. 3 & 4 (1874). 

 Clotho nasicomis. Gray, Zool. Miscell. p. 69 (1842), and Cat. p. 25 



(1849) ; Wolf, Zool. Sketches, ii. pi. — (1865). 

 Vipera bexacera, Dum. 8r Bihr. vii. p. 1416, pi. Ixxviii. 6. flg. 2 



(1864). 

 Ecbidna nasicomis, Sallow. Proc. Ac. Philad. 1857, p. 62 ; A. Dum. 



Arch. Mus. x. 1859, p. 220. 

 Bitis nasicomis, Buttikofer, Reiseb. Liberia, ii. p. 444 (1890). 



Nostrils directed upwards and outwards. Eostral very small,, 

 once and a half to twice and a half as broad as deep ; bead covered 

 with small strongly keeled scales, smallest on the vertex, 14 to 16 

 from eye to eye ; 15 to 20 scales round the eye ; four or five series of 

 scales between the eye and the labials ; two or three pairs of com- 

 pressed, erectile, horn-like shields between the supranasals, usually 

 separated in the middle by one or two series of small scales ; one of 

 these horn-like scales usually much developed ; four to six series of 

 scales between the nasal and the rostral ; 15 to 18 upper labials ; 

 four to six lower labials in contact with the chin-shields. Scales 

 in 35-41 rows, strongly keeled, outer row smooth or feebly keeled. 

 Ventrals 124-140 ; anal entire ; subcaudals 16-32. Purplish or 

 reddish brown above, with pale olive and dark brown or black 

 markings; a vertebral series of pale dark-edged spots, angularly 

 notched in front and behind to receive a rhomboidal black spot ; an 

 arrow-headed dark brown yellow-and-black-edged marking on the- 

 head and nape, the point on the snout ; sides of head dark brown, 

 with a triangular light marking in front of the eye and an oblique 

 light streak from behind the eye to the mouth ; pale olive beneath, 

 speckled and spotted with blackish, or blackish olive speckled with 

 yellowish. 



Total length 1250 millim. ; tail 125. 



West Africa, from Liberia to the Gaboon. 



a. Hgr. (Sc. 37 ; V. 124 ; 0. 19). Gold Coast. Sir A. Smith [P.], 



b. Tg. (Sc. 35; V. 131 ; 0. 21). Ashantee. Leyden Museum. 

 c-e. Yg. (Sc. 37, 35, 35 ; V. 127, Fernando Po. 



128, 130 ; 0. 31, 23, 22). 

 f,y. d (Sc. 35; V. 130; C. 32) Guinea. 

 & $ (Sc. 41 ; V. 137 : 0. 20). 



