328 COLUBBID.S. 



deep, the portion visible from above more than half its distance 

 from the frontal ; suture between the internasals as long as that 

 between the pra?frontals or a little shorter; frontal nearly as 

 long as its distance from the end of the snout, or as the parietals ; 

 loreal as long as deep or longer than deep; one praeocular, usually 

 with a small subocular below ; two or three postoculars ; temporals 

 2 + 2 or 2+3 ; upper labials 8, fourth and fifth entering the eye ; 

 4 or 5 lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields ; 

 posterior chin-shields nearly as long as the anterior, separated from 

 each other by two or three series of scales. Scales smooth, in 21 

 or 23 rows. Ventrals 197-225 ; anal divided ; subcaudals 73-88. 

 Yellowish or brownish olive atove, with narrow \\hite, brown, and 

 black variegated cro^s bands on the anterior half of the lody: 

 these bands may entirely disappear in the adult; lower paits uni- 

 form yellowish. 



Total length 3| feet ; tail 8'5 inches. 



Hob. Madras Presidency, Bengal, Province Wellesley (Malay 

 Peninsula). 



403. Zamenis diadema. 



Russell, Ind. Serp. ii, pi. xxx ; Geoffroy, Descr. Egypt e, pi. viii, 



fig. 1. 



Coluber diadema, Schley. Phys. Serp. ii, p. 148. 

 Coluber clififordii, Schkg. 1. c. p. 163, pi. vi, figs. 13 & 14. 

 Periops parallelus, Dum. fy Bibr. Erp. Gfrn. vii, p. 678 ; Jan, Icon. 



Ophid. 20, pi. ii. 

 Zamenis cliffordii, Giinth. Cat. Col. Sn. p. 104; Blanford, P. Z. S. 



1881, p. 679. 

 Zamenis diadema, Giinth. Rept. B. 1. p. 252, pi. xxi, fig. G ; Anders. 



P. Z. S. 1871, p. 174 ; Stoliczka, P. A. S. B. 1872, p. 82 ; Theob. 



Cat. p. 171; Blanf. J. A. S. B. xlviii, 1879, p. 125; Murray, 



Zool. Sind, p. 377. 



Eostral as deep as broad or a little broader than deep, visible 

 from above ; prsefrontals usually broken up into several shields, 

 there being frequently three transverse series of shields between 

 the rostral and the frontal ; frontal as long as or slightly shorter 

 than its distance from the end of the snout, and usually shorter 

 than the parietals ; loreals three to five ; two to four (rarely one) 

 prseoculars, and three or four postoculars ; a series of suboculars 

 separate the labials from the eye ; temporals small and numerous, 

 scale-like ; 10 to 13 upper labials ; 5 lower labials in contact with 

 the anterior chin-shields, which are nearly as long as the posterior. 

 Scales usually more or less obtusely keeled, in 23 to 31 rows. 

 Ventrals usually obtusely angulate laterally, 210-278 ; anal entire ; 

 subcaudals 65-110. Pale buff or sandy grey above, with more or 

 less marked dark spots, of which the median usually form a series 

 of rhombs ; lower parts white, rarely with small blackish spots. A 

 variety (atrieeps, Fischer) occurs in Northern India, which is re- 

 markable for having the head entirely or partially black above, and 

 the body irregularly spotted or blotched with black. 



Total length 6 feet ; tail 13-5 inches. 



