CASPIAN HYDRUS. 



557 



a strong plumbeous or livid blue, with numerous, 

 moderately broad, deep brown or blackish bands 

 from head to tail, each completely surrounding 

 the body, but being rather paler beneath than 

 above : a slight tinge of yellow is also diffused 

 along the abdomen and over the front of the 

 head. This is a poisonous Serpent, but the fangs 

 are remarkably small for the size of the animal. 



CASPIAN HYDRUS. 



Hydrus Caspius. H. dorsi maculis nigris orhiculatis, cauda ni- 



gricante mucrone gemino, uno supra alterum posito. Schieid, 



Amph.fasc. I. p. 244. 

 Olivaceo-cinereous H3^drus, paler beneath, with black orbicu- 

 lar spots quincuncially disposed in four series down the back, 



and the tail terminated by a double point. 

 Coluber Hydrus. Lin, Si/st. Nat, Gmel. p. 1103. Pall, if, 1. 



p, 459. 



Described by Dr. Pallas, and said to be found 

 in the Rhine and the Caspian sea : length about 

 three feet; colour olivaceo-cinereous, with four 

 rows of orbicular black spots disposed in a quin- 

 cuncial series down the back : abdomen yellowish, 

 tesselated with black : a black band on each side 

 the neck, meeting in a point behind the head, and 

 accompanied by two oblong blackish spots : tail 

 almost entirely black, and terminated by a small 

 double point, one beneath the other : has the ge- 

 neral habit of an Unguis, having a small head, 

 small eyes with a yellow circle, two rows of small 

 teeth, and a very long, black tongue. 



