SNAKES FROM THE KHASI HILLS, ASSAM. 333 



escaped without any attempt being made to kill it. The pony died 

 shortly afterwards with great swelling about the neck and should- 

 ers, and the carcase was already highly offensive when the coolies 

 were removing it. 



Callapliis macclellandi . 



12 specimens, 8 $, 4 9. All were adults varying from 1 foot 

 31 to 1 foot llf inches. Ventrals : $ 188 to 201, 9 209 to 216 ; 

 subcaudals : $ 28 to 32, 9 26 to eO. The scales in this species are 

 13 in the whole body length. 



Anomalies. — In a previous paper in this Journal* I have remarked 

 upon the contact of the 3rd supralabial with the nasal in the genus 

 Callophh, a peculiarity seen only in the allied genera Doliophis, 

 Hemibungarus and Naia. My series of specimens of maclellandi 

 shows me that the contact of these two shields is not invariable, in 

 fact failed in 4 specimens. This being so one must be prepared for a 

 possibly similar inconstancy in other species of these genera. In one 

 specimen the 3rd, 4th and 5th labials touched the eye and in another 

 the 4th and 5th subcaudals were entire. I find the pupil in this 

 species is often indiscernible, but in some specimens a small arc of 

 ruddy gold may be seen. 



The secretion of the anal glands is custard-like. 



All specimens conformed to Boulenger's variety A. (Catalogue, 

 Vol. Ill, p. 399). This is a remarkably handsome species, the shade 

 of red on the back is much like that of fresh raw beef, sometimes 

 rather brighter and in all specimens lighter and brighter in the flanks, 

 where it is often a bright carrot-red. The black bands from 16 to 26 

 on the body and 3 to 4 on the tail are always narrow, involving about 

 2 scales. They are usually but not always outlined with pale yellow, 

 or buff, and are interrupted slightly in the flanks, on the last row 

 and the edge of the ventrals, but re-appear, and extend across the 

 belly. The head is glossy jet-black with a well defined enamel 

 white cross bar. In one specimen this bar was pale yellow. The 

 belly is sulphur yellow, and the intervals between the bands heavily 

 marked with irregularly-shaped black patches. 



The two or three specimens I saw alive lead me to think it is a 

 very quiet inoffensive little snake. I could not provoke them to 

 exhibit temper in spite of much teasing. 



* Vol. XVII, p. .06. 



