over the neck broâd, and another, a narrow one, over the base of the occipi-
tals. The black included between these two yellow lines has the form and shape of
the head, and as each posterior frontal has a crescentic yellow spot at its inner and
posterior margin, the marked appearance of the head is produced. The black
collar does not pass on to the ventral shields, but a narrow black well-defined
lateral band runs backwards over the fourth row of scales to the end of the tail.
There are three longitudinal rows of minute black dots on the scales below this line
which defines the olive-brown of the back from the yellow of the hinder parts.
The most ventral line of dots runs along the angles of the ventral shields. A vertebral
series of black dots, each dot separated by an interval of two or three scales.
They become very minute on the hinder part of the trunk and on the tail.
Genus C o l u b e r , Gunther.
C o l u b e r p o r p h y r a c e u s , Cantor:
Coluber porphyraceus, Cantor, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1889, p. 51; Giinth., Kept. B. Ind., 1864, p. 289,
pi. xx, fig.1! ; Anders., Proc. Zool. Soc., 1871, p.' 172 ; Theobald, Descr. Cat. Kept. Brit. Ind.,
1876, p. 168.
Psammophis nigrofasciatus, Cantor, Proc. Zool. Soc;, 1839, p. 53, juv.
Coronella callicephalus, Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1853, vol. xii, p. 390 ; Blyth, Joum. As.
Soc., Bengal, vol. xxiii, 1855, p. 289.
Coluber callicephalus, Giinth., Cat. Col. Snakes, 1858, p. 92.
Two of the three specimens brought from Western China were procured at
Momien and show scarcely any difference except in size, the one being twice the
length of the other. They have the rostral twice as broad as high ; the anterior
frontals rounded in front, broader than long and half the size of the posterior pair.
Lateral margins convergent, hinder ones meeting at an acute angle. Occipitals
large, transversely truncated behind. Nostril between two nasals. Loreal rather
small and elongate. One preocular just reaching on to the upper surface of the
head, touching the vertical on one side, but not on the other. Two postoculars, the
upper about four times larger than the lower, which is over the suture of the fifth and
sixth labials. Temporals 1 + 2. The anterior in contact with upper postocular
anteriorly, and with two oblong temporals behind. The occipital in contact with
upper postocular nearly throughout its whole length. Upper labials eight; the
fourth and fifth entering the orbit. The first lower labials form a suture behind
the mental. Two pairs of chin-shields ; the anterior pair in contact with four
labials and about twice the size of the posterior pair. Dentition : 16 upper, 16
lower jaw.
Length of larger specimen 23-50 ; head 0-57 ; tail 3-66 inches.
„ ’ lesser „ 11 0-46 ; , . , , 1*57 ,, ;
The ventrals are 195 and the sub-caudals 55 in the larger; and there are 197
ventrals and 57 sub-caudals in the lesser specimen.
The scales in both are ranged in 19 rows.
Coloration : olive-brown above, with broad, dark-brown, black-edged transverse
bands, each margined externally by a pale yellowish-brown line ; 20 in the larger
and 17 in the lesser example. These bands do not pass on to the ventral
or sub-caudal shields. A black line through the centre of the frontals,vertical
and occipitals ; a black line from the eye to the first transverse band. Two narrow
black longitudinal dorsal lines connecting the last eleven bands. Some of the
transverse bands near the end of the body and those on the tail are resolved into
large lateral spots with the same distribution of colour as in the bands.
The specimen obtained at Hotha presents a few variations from the preceding.
The vertical-is somewhat longer ; the superciliary margin being only one-fifth less
than the greátest breadth. The loreal is small and elongated. The preocular is
broadly separated from the vertical. Two postoculars on one side and only one on
the other ; in the latter case the occipital takes the place of the upper postocular.
The temporal is in contact with the inferior postocular only. Seven upper labials
on one side, six on the other, the former on the side where there is only one postocular
; the third and fourth lahials enter the eye on this side ; and on the other,
only the elongated third labial forms the lower margin of the orbit. The coloration
the same as the type.
This example measures, total length 28 inches ; head 0*95 ; gape 033 ; tail 4‘25.
Ventrals 192 ; sub-caudals 54. Scales in 19 rows. Dentition 16 + 16 — 32 and
16 + 16 = 32.
This species which has as yet been recorded only from the Khasia Hills, from
Assam, and from Darjeeling, and now from the high country of Yunnan, would
appear to be exclusively a hill form.
Genus Elaphis, Dum. & Bib.
E l a p k i s y u n n An e n s i s , n. s.
This snake, of which I captured three individuals at Momien, is closely allied to
E. tæniurus, Gope, but from the circumstances that my specimens have only 23 rows
of scales on the body and as many as from 252 to 258 ventral shields, and that the
coloration of the trunk differs from that of JE. tæniurus, I am constrained to separate
it from that species rather than to indicate it as a variety. If any of these specimens
had approximated to the lesser number of ventral shields in E. tæniurus, and
to the greater number of body scales, and' had the verticals had the same form,
I certainly would not have separated them.
The anal shield in one of these specimens is entire, thus conforming to one of
the characters of the genus Compsosoma, and indeed so strong are some of the
resemblances of these snakes to that genus, that the consideration suggests itself
whether valid grounds exist for separating Elaphis and Compsosoma,
Head distinct from neck ; elongated, narrow, and somewhat pointed. Eye
moderately large, with a round pupil. Rostral broader than high. Anterior frontals