yellow ground. A black spot on the keel of each ventral. This type of coloration
agrees with snakes from the Khasia hills and Siam.
The foregoing specimen was captured at Mandalay in Upper Burma.
DRYIOPHIDiE.
Genus P a s s e r i t a , Gray.
P a s s e r i t a m y c t e r i z a n s , L i n n .
Coluber mycterizans, Linn., Mus. Adolph. Frid., 1754, p. 2 8 ; Bonnat, Ophiol. Encyd. Method.,
1784, pi. xxx, fig. 62 ; Russell, Ind. Serp., vol. ii, 1801, pis. xii and xiii ; Daud. Rept., 1808,
vol. vii, p. 9, pi. fxxx, fig. 1.
Dryinus nasutus, Merr, Tentam, 1820, p. 136 (nec Bell); Dam. &Bibr., Erp6t. Gen., 1854, vol. vii,
p. 809.
Dryinus oxyrhynchus, Bell, Zool. Joum., 1821, p. 825.
Passerita mycterizans. Gray, Ann. Phil., 1825, vol. x, p. 208; Gunth., Cat. Col. Sn., 1858, p. 160 ;
id., Rept., B. Ind., 1864, p. 805; Proe. Zool. Soc., 1869, p. 502 ; Steind., Reise Novara, 1867,
p. J3 ; Theobald, Joum. Linn. Soc., 1868, vol. x, p. 58 j Jan & Sord., Iconogr. Gdn. Ophid.
1869, No. 82, pi. v ; Blanf., Journ. As. Soc., Bengal, 1870, p. 878; Theobald, Descr. Cat.
Rept., Brit. Ind., 1876, p. 198; Ferguson, Rept. Fauna, Ceylon, 1877, p. 21.
Dryophis nasutus, Boie, Isis, 1827, p. 520; Gudrin, Iconogr. Rept. Cuv. Reg. An., 1830, p. 22, fig.
2 ; Jan & Sord., Iconogr. Gdn. Oph., No. xxxii, pi. v, fig. 2.
Tragops nasutus, Wagler, Icon. Amphib., 1830, p. 184.
Dryiophis nasuta, Schleg., Phys. Serp., 1837, pi. x, fig. 1.
Herpetotrqgus nasutus, Fitz., Syst. Rept., 1843, p. 27.
This snake appears to he sparingly hut generally distributed over Burma.
Theobald has recorded it from. Pegu, Prome, Thayetmyo and Tonghu, and* I have
now to extend its distribution to Bham6. I did not meet with it in the high,
region to the east of the last-mentioned locality.
LY CODONTH) JE.
Genus L y c o d o n , D. & B.
L y c o p o n a u l i c u s , L i n n .
Russel, Ind. Serp., vol. ii, 1801, p. 42, pi. xxxix, var. A,
Coluber aulicus, Linn., Mus. Adolph. Frid., 1754, vol. i, p* 29, pi. xii, fig. 2 ; id,, Syst. Nat., 12th
ed., 1766, voL i, p. 881.
Dycodon aulicus, Boie, Isis, 1826, vol. xix, p. 981; Cantor, Joum. As. Soc., Bengal, vol. xvi, pt. 2,
1847, p. 915; Jerd., Joum. As. Soc., Bengal, vol, xxii, 1853, p. 528; Dum. & Bibr., Erpdt.
Gen., vol. vii, 1854, p* 369; Giinth., Cat. Col. Sn., 1858, p. 201; Rept. B. Ind., 1864,
p. 316; Blyth, Joum. As. Soc., Bengal, vol. xxix, I860; p. 110; Steind., Reise Novara, 1867,
p. 74; Stol., Joum. As. Soc., Bengal, 1870, pp. 137, 141, 201; id., op-, oil., 1878, pp. 115,
162; Jan & Sord., Icon. Gen. Oph., No, xxxvi, 1870, pi. iv, fig. 1 ; Theobald, Descr. Cat.
Rept., Brit. Ind., 1876, p. 199; Ferguson, Rept. Fauna, Ceylon, 1877, p. 21.
Dycodon hebe, Schleg., Phys. Serp., 1837, vol. ii, p. 106, pi. iv, figs. 1-3 (nec C. hebe, Daud.)
Tytleria hypsirhinoides, Theob., Journ. As. Soc,, Bengal, vol. xxxvii, 1868, ex. No,, p, 66; Joum.
Linn, Soc., 1868, vol, X, p, 49,.
The following specimens from Bham6 and Ponsee agree in coloration with the
variety y of Gunther’s Reptiles of India. In both examples the anal is bifid.
Length 18'-54; tail 8‘67 . . .. Ventrals 184; sub-caudals 72'
„ 21'-50; ,> 8-80 ^ 200. ^ 59
This species has now been received from Amoy, Ponsee, Bham6, Assam and
Agra. I t extends also throughout the Peninsula of India to Ceylon, through
Burma and the Malayan Peninsula to the Andamans, Nicobars, Java, Philippines
and Timor.
Genus O p h i t e s , Wagler.
O p h i t e s f a s c i a t u s , n., s. Plate LXXVIII.
Head flat and rather spatulate, distinct from the neck. Anterior frontals rather
broader than long; posterior frontals much more so; vertical of moderate size nearly
as broad as long; occipitals narrow and elongate; nostril between two nasals, the
anterior frontal and the first labial. The loreal long and tapering to a point posteriorly
and entering the orbit. One preocular reaching to the upper surface of the
head. Two postoculars. Temporals 2 + 3 + 2; two in contact with the postoculars.
Eight upper labials, the third, fourth and fifth entering the orbit. The posterior
chin-shields narrow and much longer than the anterior shields, which are in contact
with five labials. The second and third teeth are elongated, followed, after a considerable
interval, by two small teeth, the most posterior being the longer. These are
succeeded by two much longer, almost fang-like teeth. The palatine teeth are
numerous and sub-equal in size. The mandible has an anterior fang; Seventeen
rows of feebly keeled scales, the keels becoming more pronounced posteriorly.
Ventrals 213. Suboculars 90. The anal entire.
Total length 21 inches; tail 4'34.
Body encircled by fifty-five broad purplish-black bands separated by reddish intervals
about half their breadth. Upper surface of the head dark-brown. Upper
labials yellowish with dusky sutures. The first black band does not encircle the neck.
I captured this specimen at Ponsee.
This species differs from O. subscmctus in having a preocular along with the
loreal entering the orbit, and in having two anterior temporals instead of one. The
young of O. subscmctus has the body and tail embraced by only 13 broad black
bands which, unlike O. fasciatus, do not extend on to the ventrals. O. albofuscus
like O. fasciatus has a loreal and preocular, but the loreal does not enter the orbit,
and the vertical is much broader anteriorly than in O. fasciatus and is slightly
broader than long, which is the .reverse of what occurs in the latter snake. The
body of O. albofuscus is dorsaily marked by 53 dark bands, but they do not pass
on to the ventrals as in O. fasciatus, which is also the case with O. septentrionalis
in which the shields of the posterior pair are shorter than the anterior, which is the
opposite of what occurs in this species. In O. albofuscus there are 256 ventrals,
but there are only 213 in this species.