COLUBER CANUS.
extensively marked with a livid hair-brown colour; the hinder edges of the abdominal
plates semi-pellucid and shining ; the tips of the scales covering the
lower parts of the sides, are similar in colour to the hack. Sides of the head
the same colour as the upper surface, the tint lighter, and each is marked
with two somewhat vertical stripes, one directly under the eye, the other
between the hinder canthus of the eye and the angle of the mouth. Eyes
light reddish brown.
V a r iet y B.— P la te X V I.
ColourH-The back and upper portions of the sides reddish orange ; the
tint deeper at some parts than at others. The parts so coloured are crossed
with irregular broad bars of a pale brownish red colour, and these bars are
narrowly edged here and there with dark blackish brown ; the latter colour,
wherever it exists, is confined to the base of the scale, immediately external
to the transverse bars. The lower parts of the sides light reddish orange,
shaded with brownish purple red, and vertically crossed by the prolongations
of the brownish red bars already noticed, which as they descend become
lighter, and are marked towards their terminations, which are near the abdominal
plates, with an irregularly shaped spot of a lemon-yellow colour, and
not unfrequently with a second of blackish brown, immediately or at some
little distance below the light mark. The lower portions of the sides and belly
intermediate between sienna and lemon-yellow, and the latter is variegated by
many of the abdominal plates being coloured transversely with livid hair-brown.
Sides of head similar in colour to the belly, and each is marked with two
vertical stripes, disposed as described in Variety A ; eyes light reddish
brown.
YoungB -P late XVII.
C o l u b e r C a n to , Lin. Mas. Ad. Fr.i. p. 31. t. ii. fig. 1. — Shaw’s Geaeral Zoology, vol. iii.
part ii. p. 499.
C o l u b e r M a r g a r it a c e u s , Merr. Beitr. ii. p. 42. pi. 9.—Daud. Rept. vi. p. 419.
Colour.—Aboye pale yellowish brown, variegated with quadrangular spots,
and irregularly waved and serrated longitudinal bands of a deep orange-
coloured brown; most of the spots are darkest at the margin, which is
umber-brown, and exterior to this colour there is generally a narrow edging
of pearly white. Head above light yellowish brown, variegated particularly
along the centre with deep orange-coloured brown. The sides of the head,
the lower portions of the sides of the body, and all the under parts pearly
white ; the sides are marked with reddish orange, or orange-brown spots in
(. Reptilia.—Plate 16