PAREAS MONTICOLA. 327 



illary are rather small, fom- in number ; those of the palatines and mandibles are longest 

 in front, gradually diminishing in size posteriorly. Scales slightly keeled, thin, in fifteen 

 rows, those of the vertebral series distinctly larger than the others. Ventrals 160-174 ; anal 

 entire ; subcaudals 52-74. Greyish brown, with numerous closely-set, reticulated blackisli 

 cross bands ; a curved black band on each side of the neck, continued to the eye as a narrow 

 streak. Whitish below, with some irregular brown dots. 



This species is not very rare in Java; we have also received a specimen from the Laos 

 Mountains in Cochinchina. It attains to a length of 20 inches, the tail being one-fourth. 



PaREAS MONTICOLA*. 



Dipsas monticolaj Cantor, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1839, p. 53. 



Head short, flat above, not elevated, distinct from neck, with broad, obtusely rounded 

 snout ; eye of moderate size, witli vertical pupil ; body rather slender, strongly compressed ; 

 tail of moderate length, prehensile. Rostral shield subquadrangular, as high as broad, just 

 reaching the upper surface of the snout ; anterior frontals twice as broad as long, half the 

 size of posterior, which form a part of the orbital edge. Vertical rather large, six-sided, 

 with an obtuse angle in front and witli an acute one behind; supraciliaries of moderate 

 size ; occipitals rather narrow, tapering behind. Nasal simple, pierced by the nostril ; loreal 

 none, replaced by a large prtBorbital; another small prseorbital is wedged in between the 

 orbit and the third labial ; two very narrow postorbitals, the lower of which excludes the 

 fifth labial entirely or partially from the orbit. Seven upper labials, the fourth (or fifth) 

 entering the orbit. Temporals rather irregularly arranged ; the two anterior are in contact 

 with the postoculars, the lower being much larger than the upper. Lower labials very 

 narrow ; two pairs of very large chin-shields. Teeth slender, feeble : each maxillary is armed 

 with five small teeth ; those of the palatines and mandibles are more numerous, and the 

 anterior are a little longer than the following. Scales smooth, thin, in fifteen rows, those of 

 the vertebral series larger than the others, hexagonal. Ventrals 194; anal entire; sub- 

 caudals 87. Brown : a black streak commences at each supraciliary, forms a ring behind the 

 occiput, and is continued as a short black band along each side of the neck ; along each side 

 of the anterior part of the trunk a series of oblique Y-shaped black cross bands which 

 gradually become indistinct on the middle and hinder parts of the body. Yellowish below, 

 irregularly dotted with brown. 



Two specimens, from Assam, have been examined : one is the type, and preserved in the 

 Oxford Museum; the other is 24 inches long, the tail measuring 5^ inches. Mr. Blyth 

 mentions a Bipsas monticola from Assam (Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1855, xxiii. p. 294) ; but this 

 must be a very diff'erent snake, having 158 ventrals and 106 subcaudals. 



* Before I had an opportunity of examining the typical specimen I had named this species P. nuchalis, 

 which name has no claim whatever to further notice. 



