72 COLUBERMELANOLEUCUS. 



for the nostril, which is large, lateral, opens backwards, and is very near the 

 snout; the anterior orbital plate is large, quadrilateral, and slightly concave 

 behind, with a small loral plate in front; there are three posterior orbitals, nearly 

 of the same size, the two upper are quadrilateral, the lower is triangular; the 

 inferior wall of the oi"bit is completed by the fourth labial plate, of which there 

 are eight on each side; the anterior is triangular; the second is pentagonal, and 

 the remaining are quadrilateral. The eyes are of moderate size, with a dusky 

 pupil and grey iris. The neck is not much contracted, and is covered behind the 

 occiput with small smooth scales; soon, however, they become carinated, and 

 increase in size. 



The body is very long, though sufficiently robust to make it a strong snake; 

 and is covered above with large, hexagonal, strongly carinated scales on the 

 back, and smooth though still larger scales low doAvn on the flanks; the belly is 

 covered with very large and broad plates. The tail is terminated by a horny 

 excrescence or point. 



Colour. The plates of the head above are dusky in their centre, often tinged 

 with olive, and are margined with dirty-white; the lips are white, with an olive 

 or dusky bar at the junction of each plate; the throat is white. 



The body and tail above are milky-white, more or less clouded, and marked 

 with a vertebral series of oblong black blotches; a second series of blotches 

 of similar colour and of equal length, but much more narrow, is placed on the 

 flanks; the abdomen is pale cream-colour, with a regular series of subquadrate 

 black blotches on each side near where the plates join with the scales; these 

 blotches occupy portions of two abdominal plates, and are placed in general 

 opposite each other, and usually at intervals of three plates: these blotches 

 become more irregular at the tail, and finally disappear altogether. 



Dimensions. Length of head, 2 inches; length of body to vent, 6 feet 2 inches; 

 length of tail beyond vent, 13 inches; total length, 7 feet 3 inches; greatest 



