24 
SECOND YAEKAND MISSION. 
PsammopMs doria, Jan.: De Fil.;, Viag. in Persia, p. 356. 
Taphfometopon lineolatum, Straucli: Sclilang-. Russ. Reichs, Mem. Acad. Sci. St. Pet., xxi. No. 4, 
p. 185, PI. V;—W. Blanf.: Eastern Pers., ii, p. 422. 
1, Besliterek, soutli of Karglialik, Eastern. Turkestan. 
TMs characteristic Central Asiatic snake has been fully described and figured by Strauch. 
The only specimen obtained is of moderate size, being 33| inches long, of which the tail 
measures 8. Ventrals 195, suhcaudals about a hundred, the last three or four injured. The 
markings on the back 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 oblique lines on 
each side of the ventrals, becoming fainter posteriorly, but quite visible as far as the com¬ 
mencement of the tail. Similar colouration is described by Strauch as occurring in a 
specimen from Krasnovodsk, and another of unknown locality, loc. cit., p. 192. 
Family— VIPPBIBM 
23. ViPEEA OBTUSA. 
Dvvigubsky, teste Strauch;—W. Blanf.: Eastern Persia, ii, p. 428. 
T. euphratica, Martin: Proc. Zool. Soc., 1838, p. 82 j—Strauch; Schlangen Russ. Reiehs, Mem. Acad. 
Sci. St. Pet., xxi. No. 4, p. 221, PI. vi. 
Echidna mauritanica, Dum. and Bibr.: Erp. Gen., vii, p. 1431. 
1, Kaskmii’. 
In structure this specimen agrees fully with one which I obtained in Persia, but the 
colouration is very different, being almost uniform dark olive, with a little mottling of pale 
straw colour on the labials, chin, and ventral shields. 
The discovery of this species in Kashmir adds considerably to its known range. It is 
found in Northern Africa, Asia Minor, and other parts of Western Asia, the Trans-Caucasian 
provinces of Kussia, and Persia. 
Family ‘— CB OTALIB^. 
24. Halts himalayanus. 
Giinther: Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 393, PI. xxiv, fig. A;—Steindachner: Novara Reise, ReptOien, p, 87. 
1, Mari, Punjab; 2, Kashmir ? or Indus valley near Eras. 
In both specimens there are twenty-one rows of scales round the body, not twenty-three. 
Steindachner has already pointed out that the number is variable. In two specimens in 
the Indian Museum, one from north-east of Simla, the other labelled from Ladak, the same 
number of rows of scales occurs conf. Anderson: Proc. Zool. Soc., 1871, p. 196. Judging 
from these specimens, it would appear that twenty-one is the number most frequently met 
with to the westward. Dr. Gunther’s original specimens, with twenty-three rows of scales, 
were from Garhwal. 
