188 COLUBRID.E 



eight or nine, fourth and fifth or fifth and sixth enter- 

 ing the eye. Four or five lower labials in contact 

 with the anterior chin-shields, which are as long as 

 or a little longer than the posterior. 



Scales smooth or feebly keeled on the posterior part 

 of the body, with two apical pits, in twenty-three 

 (rarely twenty-one) rows. Ventral shields distinctly 

 angulate laterally, 212 to 248 ; anal divided ; sub- 

 caudals 60 to 91. 



Coloration. — Yellowish-grey to dark olive-brown 

 above, some of the scales with whitish lines on the 

 margins occasionally forming a network ; sometimes 

 with a yellowish vertebral stripe or with four darker 

 stripes along the body (var. romanus, Suckow) ; upper 

 lip, and often also a triangular patch on each side 

 behind the temple, pale yellow ; a more or less dis- 

 tinct dark band on the temple, and a vertical dark 

 bar below the eye (Plate VII., first figure). Lower 

 parts uniform pale yellow. Young (second figure) 

 with dark brown dorsal spots, forming four to seven 

 longitudinal series, a A-shaped black marking on the 

 nape behind the yellow nuchal blotches, which are 

 brighter than in the adult, a dark brown bar across 

 the forehead, and a black vertical line below the 

 eye; belly greyish or yellowish-olive. Iris dark grey 

 or brown. Tongue pinkish-brown. 



Melanism is rare in this snake. Such specimens 

 are entirely black above and beneath (var. mger, 



