NOTES ON SNAKES COLLECTED IN FYZABAD. 109 



ing a Rana breviceps. In the last instance the frog disadvantageously 

 seized was still alive, but a large rent in his side through which much 

 lung substance was protruding, told its own story. 



In one case the meal was too far digested to recognise except that 

 it was batrachian in character. I am surprised to see on consulting 

 Mr. Boulenger's Catalogue (Vol. 1, 1893, p. 253) that he remarks on 

 the labials of this species : " Eight upper labials normally, third, fourth, 

 and fifth entering the eye." 



This I found true with many exceptions however (10 out of 50) 

 of my Cannanore specimens, the exceptions in almost every case having 

 seven labials with the 3rd and 4th only touching the eye. It is rather 

 curious that in Fyzabad the rule and the exceptions characteristic of 

 Cannanore specimens, are reversed. Thus in Fyzabad examples, where 

 I have recorded the labials, 66 are peculiar in having seven labials with 

 the 3rd and 4th touching the eye, and but 21 have eight labials with 

 the 5th also touching the eye. In 2 examples the labials were eight, 

 with the 4th and 5th only touching the eye. 



Colour. — Every one of the Fyzabad specimens were what I stigma- 

 tise the blue variety. In these the overlapped edges of the scales are 

 blue. I never saw any red adornment either beneath the scales, on the 

 neck, or on the belly, with the exception of the slight and obscure 

 roseate streak that so often passes along the flanks where the ventrals 

 meet the last row of costals. 



Helicops sehistosus. 



I obtained all my 8 specimens in the month of August. 5 of these 

 were females, 3 males. 



It is to be noted that the ventrals in these specimens ranged between 

 145 and 157, whereas in 13 speoimens I obtained in Bangalore they 

 vary from 139 to 149. There is therefore a deoided tendency for these 

 shields to exceed those of southern examples. Added to this one 

 very noticeable feature in my Fyzabad specimens was the complete 

 absence of the red line which in southern specimens runs along the 

 confines of the 5th and 6th rows above the ventrals where the scales 

 number 19; the 4th and 5th where the scales are 17. All these 

 Fyzabad specimens had bright yellow underparts. I think these 

 specimens may be taken to constitute a local variety. 



All the specimens came from the neighbourhood of the river, 3 of 

 them during flood on the 6th of August. The two smallest examples 



