LYCODON GEOMETRICUS.—S c h l e g e l .
R e p t il ia .— P l a t e XXII. A d u l t a n d Y o u n g .
L. suprk subcastaneus; infrk pallide flavus, latere duabus lineis longitudinalibus antice notato; capite
suprk linea flavS. marginata, et lined colons similis inter oculum et oris angulum ; capite depresso ;
corpore subcylindraceo; squamis antice hexagonis elongatis, posticb brevibus subhexagonis.
Longitudo a naso ad anum 26 unc.; caudae 6 .nnc. 6 lin.
Lycodon Geometbicus, Physionomie des Serpens, par Schlegel, page 1 1 1 .
CoLOUfiBBack and upper portion of sides intermediate between yellowish
brown and umber-brown, the colour of the sides being separated from that of
the back by a narrow cream-yellow band, which commences near the hind
head and is lost before it reaches the tail. Below the brown of the side,
which exhibits the appearance of a longitudinal stripe, there is a second
cream-coloured baud about the width of the first, but neither so distinctly
defined nor so lengthened, rarely reaching to the middle of the body. Behind,
where this second line does not exist, the lower edge of the hrown gradually
fades into a light-brownish purple-red. Lower portion of sides and under
parts straw-yellow. Besides the yellow bands already mentioned there is
one of a brighter tint edging the lateral and anterior parts of the upper surface
of the head, and another extending between the outer corner of the eye
and the angle of the mouth; there are also some more or less vertical
lines of the same colour on the upper lip.
Y o u n g .
The ground colour sienna-yellow glossed with purplish red, and the back
and the sides towards the head are freely variegated with several rows of spots
of a brownish red colour. Line edging the upper surface of the head, and
one between the eye and the angle of the mouth bright yellow, the former is
connected with its fellow of the opposite side by a narrow transverse yellow
line ; upper and under lips pale yellow vertically barred with brown. Under
parts pale straw-yellow.