VIPERA (ECHIDNA) ATROPOS.-Lat. 
Reptilia. — Plate LII. 
V. superne brunneo-flavus, inferne sordide flavus ; dorso lateribusque maculis nigro-brunneis albo-margi- 
natis, seriebus quatuor dispositis ; abdomine fasciis transversis subnigris notato , capite cordiforme ; 
naribus prope nasi apicem. 
Coluber atropos, Linn, Mus. Ad. Fred. i. p. 22, t. IS, fig. 1. 
Cobra atropos, Laurent, Reptilia, p. 104. 
V ii 3 era atropos, Lat. Rept. iii. p. 334; Laud. Rept. iv. p. 210. 
Viper a Montana, Smith, Ed. Phil. Journal. 
Colour, &c. — The ground colour of the upper and lateral parts of the 
head, of the back, and of the sides intermediate between brownish purple- 
red and yellowish brown ; the top of the head variegated with two longitudinal 
liver-brown stripes united behind on the liindhead to a large blotch of the 
same colour, from which proceeds a short similar coloured stripe along each 
side of the neck. Back and sides marked with four rows of liver-brown 
spots, those of the two middle rows crescent-shaped and distinctly edged 
with reddish white, those of the lateral rows smaller, somewhat quadrangular, 
and also edged with reddish white, the edgings ot the upper and lower sides 
of these spots are connected by stripes of the same colour, and so form two 
light coloured and waved lines on each side of the body. The colour of the 
sides beneath the lowermost line pale yellowish brown freckled with small 
liver-brown spots. Abdominal plates rusty straw-yellow, partially crossed 
by closely set blackish green bars, and the plates at each extremity marked 
with a liver-brown spot ; subcaudal scales, each marked with a large blackish 
green spot. Each side of the head with an oblique white stripe which com- 
mences at the hinder angle of the eye, and terminates on the upper lip, the 
latter as also the lower lip white, spotted with liver-brown. In many speci- 
mens the white stripe which proceeds from the eye is margined behind with 
one of liver-brown, and also in many there is a clear white blotch near to the 
nose immediately over the upper lip. Each of the dark stripes of the head 
is edged externally with a white stripe. 
Form, &c. Body robust and tapered slightly towards the head and the 
