316 OPHIDIA. 



Ltcodon aulicus. 



Coluber aulicus, L. Syst. Nat. i. p. 381. Russell, ii. pi. 39*. 



Lycodon aulicus, Boie, Isis, 1826, p. 981. Cantor, Catal. p. 68. 



hebe, Schleg. Phys. Serp. ii. p. 106. pi. 4. figs. 1-3 {not C. hebe, DaucL). 



Note. — The synonymy in all the preceding herpetological works is confused — C. striatus, C. malignus, 

 C. hebe, C. fasciolatus, and probably C. capucinus belonging to other species. 



Snout broad, much depressed, long, spatulate, with the upper lip swollen, and without 

 canthus rostralis. Rostral shield very low, broad, slightly bent backwards on the upper 

 surface of the snout ; anterior frontals very small ; posterior frontals longer than broad, 

 much more so in adult specimens than in young ones; there is a lateral notch between 

 the anterior and posterior frontals, in which the inner anterior angle of the loreal is received ; 

 the posterior fi-ontals have an obtuse lateral angle corresponding to the sutui'e between 

 loreal and prseocular; occipitals elongate. Nostril small, directed upwards, between two 

 nasals, the anterior of which is situated on the foremost part of the snout. Loreal single, 

 large, nearly twice as long as broad. Prteocular single, in contact with the vertical and with 

 the third labial; specimens in which it does not reach the vertical are very scarce. Two 

 postoculars; supraciliary rather small. Nine upper labials, the third, fourth, and fifth of 

 which enter the orbit. Temporals numerous, scale-like. Scales smooth, Avith a minute 

 apical groove, in seventeen rows. Abdomen and tail with an angular ridge on each side. 

 Ventrals 183-209 ; anal bifid, in a few specimens entire; subcaudals 57-77f. Each maxil- 

 lary is armed Avith two fangs in front, placed in a transverse line, the outer being much larger 

 than the inner ; the lateral longitudinal series of teeth commences at some distance from the 

 fangs ; they are small, from four to twelve in number, the last being considerably larger than 

 the others ; pterygoido-palatine teeth small, of equal size ; mandible with two or three fangs 

 on each side and with a series of small teeth. Coloration variable. 



I. Continental varieties. The posterior frontals are moderately elongate — in young speci- 

 mens nearly as broad as long. Each upper labial with a brown spot. [To this category 

 belong also specimens from the Philippine Islands.] 



Var. a. Russell, ii. pi. 39. Uniform brown above, without collar: Malayan peninsula, 

 Bengal, Madras. 



Var. j3. Uniform brown above, with a white collar : Madras. 



Var. y. Brown or greyish brown, with indistinct traces of a white network, and with a 

 white collar, more distinct in young specimens than in old ones : Coast of Malabar, Pinang, 

 Malayan Peninsula, Gamboja, Philippine Islands, Timor. 



Var. S. Ferruginous or chestnut-brown, with wliite, brown-edged cross bars on the back, 



* We can quote only this figure to this species ; others, as i. pi. 16, or pi. 21, belong to quite different . | 



snakes. I 



t Specimen from Ceylon 185 + 64. 

 „ Ceylon 190 + 65. 



„ Ceylon 192 + 57. 



„ Madras 183 + 72. 



„ Nepal 207+78. 



Specimen from Pinang 209 + 60. 

 „ Gamboja 201 + 70. 



„ Philippines 199 + 77. 



„ Phihppuies 185 + 65. 



ft 



