24 
SECOND YARKAND MISSION. 
Psammophis dona, Jan. : De Fil., Viag. in Persia, p. 356. 
Taphrometopon lineolaimn, St ranch : Schlang. Russ. Reich s, Mem. Acad. Sci. St. Pet., xxi, No. h 
p. 185, PI. v ; — W. Blanf. : Eastern Pers., ii, p. 422. 
1, Beshterek, south of Karghalik, Eastern Turkestan. 
This characteristic Central Asiatic snake has been fully described and figured by Strauch- 
The only specimen obtained is of moderate size, being 33J mclies long, of which the tai 
measures 8. Yentrals 195, subcaudals about a hundred, the last three or four injured. The 
markings on the hack are rather less distinct than in Strauch’s figure, those on the belly are more 
developed, there being a subtriangular blackish mark in the middle on the anterior shields , 
this passes gradually into a trapezoidal dusky patch, with black lateral margins in the centre, 
and a row of black spots along the side, and this again gradually into two obliqne lines on 
each side of the ventrals, becoming fainter posteriorly, hut quite visible as far as the com- 
mencement of the tail. Similar colouration is described by Strauch as occurring rn 11 
specimen from Krasnovodsk, and another of unknown locality, loc. cit., p. 192. 
Family — FI PERU) PE. 
23. VlPEKA OBTUSA. 
Dwigubsky, teste Strauch; — W. Blanf. : Eastern Persia, ii, p. 428. j 
V. etiphratica, Martin : Proe. Zool. Soc., 1838, p. 82; — Strauch: Schlangen Russ. Reichs, Mem. -^ c ‘ 
Sci. St. Pet., xxi, No. 4, p. 221, PI. vi. 
Echidna, matirilanica, Dum. and Bibr. : Erp. Gen., vii, p. 1431. 
1, Kashmir. 
In structure this specimen agrees fully with one which I obtained in Persia, hut tb® 
colouration is very different, being almost uniform dark olive, with a little mottling of P a 
straw colour on the labials, chin, and ventral shields. 
The discovery of this species in Kashmir adds considerably to its known range. It 
found in Northern Africa, Asia Minor, and other parts of Western Asia, the Trans-Caucasi 
provinces of Russia, and Persia. 
Family— CROP ALII) PE. 
24. Halts himalayanus. 
87 ' 
Gunther : Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 393, PI. xxiv, fig. A ; — Steindachner : Novara Reise, Iteptilien, p- 
1, Mari, Punjab; 2, Kashmir P or Indus valley near Dras. 
In both specimens there are twenty-one rows of scales round the body, not twenty-th ^ 
Steindachner has already pointed out that the number is variable. In two specimens^ 
the Indian Museum, one from north-east of Simla, the other labelled from Ladak, the 
number of rows of scales occurs conf. Anderson : Proc. Zool. Soc., 1871, P- ^ 
from these specimens, it would appear that tw T enty-one is the number most frequent 
with to the westward. Dr. Gunther’s original specimens, with twenty-three rows o sC 
were from Garhwal. 
