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Show 758 MR. G. A. BOULENGER ON VIPERA RENARDI. [Dec 5, VIPERA RENARDI. (Plate LXIV.) Pelias renardi, Christoph, Bull. Mosc. xxxiv. 1861, ii. p. 599. Vipera berus, part., Strauch, Syn. Viper, p. 32 (1869) ; and Schl. Russ. R. p. 206 (1873). Vipera renardi, Bouleng. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1893, p. 598. Snout obtusely pointed, as in V. ursinii; canthus rostralis angular and raised, the upper surface of the snout thereby concave. Horizontal diameter of the eye equal to its distance from the centre or the anterior border of the nostril; its vertical diameter equal to or a little less than its distance from the oral border. Nostril pierced in the lower half of the nasal shield, which is not larger than the eye. The three sincipital shields usually well developed; in two spec'mens (from Chinas and Kunges) the parietals are broken up into scales, and in a third (from Kuldja) the frontal is besides small and irregular, being separated from the right supraocular by two series of scales; it is therefore probable that, as in V. berus, specimens wdl be found with the vertex covered with small scales. But when the shields are well developed they differ from those of V. berus and agree better with those of V. ursinii. The frontal is once and two-thirds to twice and one-third as long as broad, usually longer than the parietals ; its length at least equals, usuaUy exceeds, its distance from the end of the snout; it is separated from the supraocular by an elongate shield or by two or three small shields. The rostral is as broad as deep or a little deeper than broad and its tip is in contact with a single apical shield, which, together with the two canthals on each side, forms the raised upper border of the snout; two to six prsefrontal scales within the latter; the upper praeocular is usually in contact with the nasal; either a single series of scales between the eye and the labials, or two series except under the centre of the eye, which is separated from the fourth labial by a single scale; nine or ten upper labials, fourth or fourth and fifth below the eye; nine or ten (in one specimen eleven) scales round the eye. The scales on the body form 21 longitudinal series, exceptionally 19, as in V. berus, strongly keeled, the outer smooth or feebly keeled. According to the numbers given by Strauch (Schl. Russ. R. p. 279, specs. 1019-1027), the ventrals vary from 138 to 150, the subcaudals from 27 to 34. Christoph describes the male as with 141 ventrals and 36 subcaudals, the female with 139 ventrals and 34 subcaudals. M y specimens have 130 to 148 ventrals and 31 to '36 subcaudals in the males, 137 to 142 ventrals and 24 to 30 subcaudals in the femalesl, as shown in the foUowing table :- 1 (P.S. 23-1-94).-I have now counted the shields in 52 specimens (15 3, 37 5 ) of V. ursinii, and 118 (56 3, 62 5 ) of V. berus. The variation in the former species is 120-135 v., 30-37 c. in 3, 125-142 v., 20-28 c. in 9 ; in the latter, 134-150 v., 33-46 cm 3, 135-158 v., 26-36 c. in $.-G. A. B. |