99. coNTiA. 261 



Psammophis moniliger, Nordm. in Demid. Voy. Rms. M4r. iii. 



p. 342, pi. iv. fig. 1 (1840). 

 Coronella collaris, Berth, in Wagn. Beise n. Kolchis, p. 332 (1850). 

 Ablabes modestus, Giinth. Cat. p. 27 (1858) ; Strauch, Schl. Russ. JR. 



p. 36, pi. i. fig. 1 (1873) ; Boettff. Ber. Senck. Ges. 1890, p. 294. 

 Contia modesta. Cope, Proc. Ac. Phtlad. 1862, p. 339. 

 Eireais collaris, Jan, Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. ii. 1863, p. 257, and 



Icon. Ogn. 15, pi. iv. fig. 1 (1866). 

 Ablabes collaris, Strauch, I. c. p. 41, pi. i. fig. 2. 

 Oyclopbis modestu8, Blanf. Zool. E. Pers. p. 403 (1876) ; Boettg. 



Sitzb. Ac. Berl. 1888, p. 171, and Ber. Senck. Ges. 1892, p. 147 ; 



MShely, Zool. Am. 1894, p. 85. 



collaris, Blanf. I.e. p. 405. 



Ablabes modestus, var. semimaculala, Boettg, Ber. Offenb. Ver. Nat. 



1876, p. 58, pi. —. 

 Oycloptiis modestus, var. punctatolineata, Boettg. Ber. Senck. Ges. 



1892, p. 147. 



Eostral a little broader than deep, just visible from above ; nasal 

 undivided ; suture between the internasals as long as or a little 

 shorter than that between the praefrontals ; frontal once and a half 

 to once and two thirds as long as broad, longer than its distance 

 from the end of the snout, shorter than the parietals ; loreal square 

 or a little longer than deep ; one (rarely two) prae- and two (rarely 

 one) postoculars ; temporals 1+2; seven upper labials, third atid 

 fourth entering the eye ; four (rarely five) lower labials in contact 

 with the anterior chin-shields ; posterior chin-shields smaller than 

 the anterior, and usually separated from each other by scales. 

 Scales in 15 or 17 rows. Ventrals 150-191 ; anal divided; sub- 

 caudals 50-78. Pale olive above, each scale lighter in the centre ; 

 head and nape in the young black, with yellow spots or cross bands, 

 the black nuchal collar edged with yellow ; these markings becoming 

 indistinct in the adult ; lower parts uniform white. Some varieties 

 have longitudinal series of dark dots, which may form lines on the 

 tail. 



Total length 480 millim. ; tail 110. 



From the Archipelago, Cyprus, and Asia Minor to the Caucasus 

 and Persia. 



a-b. S (Sc. 15 ; V. 151 ; 0.62) Areshsky, Gov. St. Petersburg Mus. 



& 2 (Sc. 16; V. 164; 0. 53). Elizabethpol. [E.]. 



c-d. c? (Sc. 17 ; V. 176 ; 0. 78) Constantinople. 



&yg.(Sc.l7; V.165; C. 75). 

 e. Many specs. (Sc. 17), d (V. Xanthus. Sir C. Fellows [P.]. 



164, 162, 161, 164, 168, 163, 



156 ; 0. 73, 64, 65, 66, 66, 68, 



62), 9 (V. 172, 172; 0.56, 



55), & yg. (V. 159, 177, 170, 



160, 174; C. 67, 62, 56, 69, 



63). 

 /_„. o & yg. (Sc. 17 ; V. 185, Valley of the R. MacAndrew, 



154 ; 0. 69, 78). Meinder. Esq. [P.]. 



h. Yg. (Sc. 15 ; V. 158 ; 0. 60). Ruins of Nine- W. K. Loftus, Esq. 



veh. [P.]. 



i-k. Yg. (Sc. 16, 17 ; V. 163, Euphrates Exped. 



173; 0.?, 61). 



