PLATYPLECTBURUS. 273 



326. Melanophidium punctatum. 



Melauopliidium punctatum, Beddome, Madras Journ. Med. Sc. 1871 ; 

 Gunth. P. Z. S. 1875, p. 230, pi. xxxii, fig. B ; Theob. Cat. p. 139 ; 

 Beddome, A. M. N. H. (5) xvii, 1880, p. 31. 



Snout rounded ; rostral small, just visible from above ; frontal 

 as long as its distance from the end of the snout ; suture between 

 the ocular and the frontal less than one third the length of the 

 latter shield. Eye very small. Diameter of body 42 to 48 times 

 in the total length. 15 scales round the middle of the body, 17 

 behind the head. Ventrals rather more than twice as broad as the 

 contiguous scales, 184-198 ; subcaudals 15-18. Black above, 

 beautifully iridescent ; ventrals and the two lower series of scales 

 on each side with a broad white border. 



Total length 20 inches. 



Hab. Travancore Hills, 4000-4500 feet. 



327. Melanophidium bilineatum. 



Melauopliidium bilineatum, Beddome, Madras Journ. Med. Sc. 1870 ; 

 Giinth. P. Z. S. 1875, p. 230, pi. xxxii, fig. A ; Theob. Cat. p. 138 ; 

 Beddome, A. M. N. H. (5) xvii, 1886, p. 30. 



Snout rounded; rostral small, just visible from above ; frontal 

 longer than its distance from the end of the snout ; suture between 

 the ocular and the froutal less than one third the length of the 

 latter shield. Eye very small. Diameter of body 40 to 50 times 

 in the total length. 15 scales round the middle of the body, 17 or 

 19 behind the head. Yentrals rather more than twice as broad as 

 the contiguous scales, 188-200 ; subcaudals 15-17. Black, beauti- 

 fully iridescent ; a broad yellow band, with or without a series of 

 black dots, along each side, from the lips to the tail, where it 

 unites with its fellow on the under surface. 



Total length 14 k inches. 



Hub. Peria Peak and Tirrhioot Peak, Wvnaad, 4000 feet. 



Genus PLATYPLECTEURUS, 

 Giinthur, A. M. X. IT. (4) i, 18G8, p. 414. 



Eye distinct from the neigh- 

 bouring shields, of moderate 

 size. A supraocular and a 

 temporal. Tail cylindrical or 

 slightly compressed, the ter- 

 minal scute pointed or with a 

 transverse ridge. 

 Fig. 83.Platt/plectrurits trilineatus. Distribution. Southern India. 



Upper and side views of head. 



