566 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OP 



border of the vertical shorter than the straight, convergent lateral ; posterior 

 angle obtuse. Superciliaries large. Occipitals elongate, external borders 

 convergent, bounded by two long temporals. Inferior labials ten, eleven, or 

 twelve. Gastrosteges 232 ; one divided anal ; urosteges 101 pair. Total 

 length of specimen from Ningpo 64 in., tail 13 in. ; specimen from Siam 30 in., 

 tail 6 in., 3 lines. 



Coloration. Above, an olivaceous ash, or clay color, more olive anteriorly. 

 A blackish lateral band extends from the tip of the tail, throughout the poste- 

 rior third of the body, where it extends from the second to the ninth rows of 

 scales, reducing the ground color to a dorsal stripe of three or four scales in 

 width. It is divided by a number of irregular narrow vertical lines, at regular 

 distances. The superior border is prolonged upon the anterior two-thirds of 

 the body as an irregular, narrow, longitudinal black band, connected with 

 that of the opposite side by similar short transverse bands at distances of four 

 or five scales. Irregular black borders and centres of the median lateral 

 scales, are the only indications of the inferior part of the lateral band anterior- 

 ly. Gastrosteges tipped with black anteriorly ; the central parts become 

 gradually darker posteriorly, but finally give place to a yellow median band 

 which extends to the tip of the tail. This is bounded by a blackish band on 

 each side, which is separated from that of the sides by another yellow one, 

 which involves the tips of the gastrosteges, and first row of scales. The only 

 marking upon the head is a black postocular vitta, which extends along the 

 upper borders of the labials and no farther, parallel to the commissure of the 

 mouth. Pectus, throat, chin and superior labials yellowish. 



One sp. Ningpo, Dr. McCartee. 



One sp. Siam, Dr. J. E. Simple, U. S. N. 



AVe can find no notice of this fine serpent, except a brief description appended 

 to specimen c under Elaphis virgatus of the British Museum Catalogue. 

 This specimen, which is from Chikiang, China, most probably belongs to the 

 present species. Elaphis virgatus differs from taeniurus in its more 

 elevated rostral with more equal borders, its shorter loreal and preocular, 

 etc. 



E. bilineatus Hallowell, Proc. Acad., 1860, p. 497, from Japan, is near- 

 ly allied to, if not a variety of, E. quadrivirgatus Gthr. 



Note. In these Proceedings, 1860, p. 241, we characterized a genus of ser- 

 pents from West Africa, having entire urosteges, under the name Pariaspis. 

 This name we find must give way to Elapops, Gthr., of a few months prior 

 date; vid. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 1859, 151. E. modestus Gthr., appears to 

 differ from E, plumbeater in having but one postocular, two temporals 

 bounding the occipital instead of one, and in color. In the latter species there 

 is no shade of olivaceous. The plate represents a rather broader vertical and 

 perhaps a smaller rostral. We look for further specimens to substantiate these 

 differences. 



Ozyrhopus melanocrotaphus nobis, 1. c, p. 260, is apparently Crotaphopeltis 

 rufescens Filz. The latter genus differs from Sibon in its entire anal plate. 



Phimothyra nobis, 1. c, p. 253, is intended to take the place of Salvadora Bd. 

 & Grd., the latter name having been previously applied by Linnaeus to a genus 

 of plants. 



Phyllobates a u r a t u s , 1. c, p. 372, was erroneously stated to inhabit Chili. 

 It has as yet been found only on the Island of Taboga, Bay of Panama. 



We are authorized to state that Lampropeltis vmltistriata Kennicott, 1. c, 

 p. 328, is a misprint for L. mu ltistrata Kenn. 



[Dec. 



