DIPSAS. 361 



brown spots, and two other series of smaller spots lower down on 

 the sides ; two blackish bands on the head, diverging posteriorly ; 

 a blackish streak from the eye to the angle of the mouth ; lower 

 parts whitish, marbled or spotted with brown, and with a series of 

 brown spots along each side. 



Total length 2| feet ; tail 6 inches. 



Hob. Burma, Southern China, Siam, Malay Peninsula and 

 Archipelago ; common in Pegu. 



449. Dipsas hexagonotns. 



Dipsas hexagonotus, Blyth, J. A. 8. B. xxiv, 1856, p. 360 ; Stoliczka, 

 J. A. S. B. xxxix, 1870, pt. 2, p. 198, pi. xi, fig. 4, and xl, 1871, 

 pt. 2, p. 439 ; Theob. Cat. p. 195. 



Dipsas ochraceus, Gunth. A. M. N. H. (4) i, 1868, p. 425; Theob. J. 

 Linn. Soc. x, 1868, p. 53 ; id. Cat. p. 196. 



Dipsas hexagonata, part., Anders. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 185. 



Anterior palatine teeth scarcely larger than the posterior ; an- 

 terior mandibular teeth considerably larger than the posterior. 

 Eye shorter than the snout. Eostral broader than deep ; inter- 

 nasals a little shorter than the praefrontals ; frontal as long as its ' 

 distance from the end of the snout, considerably shorter than the 

 parietals ; loreal as long as deep or deeper than long ; one prae- 

 ocular, not reaching the upper surface of the head ; two post- 

 oculars ; temporals 2-f3; upper labials 8 (rarely 9), third, fourth, 

 and fifth (or fourth, fifth, and sixth) entering the eye ; 4 or 5 

 lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are 

 as long as the posterior or a little shorter. Body strongly 

 compressed ; scales in 19 or 21 rows, disposed obliquely ; scales of 

 the vertebral row strongly enlarged, but longer than broad except 

 on the posterior part of the body. Ventrals 218-250 ; anal 

 entire ; subcaudals 94-140. Dusky grey, reddish, or ochraceous 

 above, uniform or with ill-defined blackish transverse lines ; a 

 more or less distinct brown streak from eye to gape ; lower parts 

 yellow, uniform or clouded with pale brownish in the young. 



Total length 3^ feet ; tail 8 inches. 



ffab. Eastern Himalayas (to 4000 feet), Bengal, Burma, 

 Andamans. 



450. Dipsas cyanea. 



Triglyphodon cyaneum, Dum. fy Bibr. Erp. Gen. vii, p. 1079. 

 Dipsas nigromarginata, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xxiii, 1855, p. 294. 

 Dipsas bubalina*, Gunth. JRept. B. I. p. 311, pi. xxiv, fig. E; 

 Stoliczka, J. A. S. B. xl, 1871, pt. 2, p. 441 ; Theob. Cat. p. 197. 



Anterior palatine teeth scarcely larger than the posterior ; 

 anterior mandibular teeth considerably larger than the posterior. 

 Eye shorter than the snout ; rostral nearly as deep as broad ; 

 internasals a little shorter than the praefrontals ; frontal as long as 



* This specific name, derived from Klein, Teut. Herp. p. 21, 1755, is inad- 

 missible, and its application to the present snake is doubtful. 



