MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 68a 



" 4. There is nothing in the lepidosis of the head by which they can be 

 considered distinct." 



x\gaui I quote Boulenger. " Frontal much longer than broad, as long as 

 its distance from the rostral or the end of the snout " and later "two- 

 superposed anterior temporals." In my description of H. siomensis I haAe 

 given, '' frontal as long as or shorter than its distance to the rostral " and 

 "normally a single anterior temporal " ; and in a series of So specimens 

 the frontal is shorter than its distance to the rostral in 22, or 66 per cent, 

 of them, and although a single anterior temporal appears to be normal, 

 fragmentation of that shield on one or both sides occurs in 11, or 

 33 per cent., of the specimens. Such differences as these were they to bo 

 found only in one or two examples might be rightly viewed with suspicion, 

 but where they are to be found frequently over a large series they are 

 surely entitled to recognition. 



" 6. The dentition agrees with that of my Indian specimens and is as- 

 follows : — The postmaxillarv teeth vary from 7 to 1(1 ( Indian specimens 6 

 to 10)." 



This is not in accordance with Col. Wall's previous remarks on cya- 

 nocmctus [antea, XXIII, 2, p. 375). There he says, the postmaxillary 

 teeth are usually 7 in number, sometimes 6, in one 8. My 5 skulls of 

 cyanocinctus from this region agree entirely with his original figures, whereas 

 in 6 skulls of siamensis the teeth are 8 and 9, in one doubtful 10. 



Finally there is the question of length and colouration ( 7 and 8 ). 

 The length of siamensis ( my series includes 7 gravid females ) does not 

 exceed 1000 mm. Cyanocinctus on the other hand attains a much greater 

 length. Boulenger gives it up to 1,500 mm., but in}- largest specimen mea- 

 sures 1,885 mm, 



Siamensis is gi-eenish-grey above, with dark grey complete bands. The 

 head is dark grey or black, with yellow markings along the sides and 

 across the snout. Both bands and yellow markings tend to disappear in 

 old age. Of my 21 examples ( adult and half grown ) of cyanocinctus fi-om 

 this region, none is completelj'^ banded. They are boldly marked with 

 blue black dorsal bars, which as with siamensis disappear with age. The 

 head is oliveaseous or yellowish, and without the defined markings of cya~ 

 nocincius. 



In considering therefore that my specimens were not H. tuberculntus, I 

 agree with Col. Wall, for we are both of the opinion that that name should 

 be a synonym of cyanocinctus. But that my siamensis is also a cyanocinctus 

 I most strongly contest. In fact I find them so different that I should not 

 have thought it possible for them to be confused. 



MALCOLM A. SMITH, r.z.8. 



Bangkok, August 1918, 



No. XXXVII.— NOTES ON SOME INTERESTING SNAKES RECENTLY 

 PRESENTED TO THE SOCIETY. 



Ablabes pavo, Annandale. 



The Society has been fortunate in securing a specimen of this handsome 

 snake, which has hitherto been only known from the Abor Hills, where a 

 single example was obtained on the Upper Rotung, by the 32 Sikh Pioneers^ 

 while road making. It is describee! by Dr. Annandale in the Zoological 

 Results of the Abor Expedition. (Records of the Ind. Muse. Vol. VII., 

 pt. 1. Plate.) The present specimen was obtained at Kindat, Chin Hills, 

 Burma, by Mr. J. M. D. Mackenzie, The scale characters agree with 

 Dr. Annandale's description of the Abor specimen ; on the present species, 

 the 3rd supralabial on one side is divided giving off a small scale wedged. 



46 



