TROPIDONOTUS NIGROCINCTUS. 269 



wards to the side of the belly and upwards to the ocelli of the other side. The ocelli of 

 both sides are generally not opposite to each other but alternately placed. Belly uniform 

 yellowish, greyish towards behind. A broad black band runs from the eye to the angle of 

 the mouth, and is continued along the side of the neck. 



AVe have only one (immature) specimen of this species, 11 inches long, tail 2^ inches. It 

 is from Ceylon. Closely allied to Trop. chrysargus from Java, but with fewer upper labials 

 and with a different coloration. 



Tropidonotus beddomii. (Plate XXII. fig. E.) 



Spilotes vittatus, Beddome, Madras Quart. Journ. Med. Sc. vol. v. 



Head of moderate width and length, distinct from neck ; body and tail of moderate length ; 

 eye rather large. Scales in nineteen rows, strongly keeled. Ventrals 146 ; subcaudals 70. 

 Anterior frontals obtusely rounded in front, half as large as posterior ; vertical five-sided, 

 nearly twice as long as broad ; occipitals nearly as long as vertical and posterior frontals 

 together, truncated behind. Loreal quadrangular, as high as long ; one prteocular, extending 

 on to the upper surface of the head, but not reaching the vertical ; three postoculars ; nine 

 low upper labials, the fourth, fifth, and sixth of which enter the orbit ; temporals elongate, 

 1+2, the anterior in contact with the two lower oculars. Brown above; a series of small, 

 short, transverse streaks of orange-colour along each side of the back ; a narrow yellow cross 

 bar behind the occipitals ; labials edged with black ; a yellowish, black-edged band from the 

 eye to the angle of the mouth. Belly whitish, its sides and the subcaudals dotted with 

 brown. 



Captain Beddome, who discovered this species in the Nilgherries, has kindly sent me the 

 typical specimen of his Spilotes vittatus ; it is a Tropidonotus allied to T. ceyJonensis ; but the 

 specific name proposed by him cannot stand, as it is already given to the common Javan 

 species. The specimen is very young, only 8|^ inches long, the tail measuring 2^ inches. 

 Several discrepancies in my description and that of Captain Beddome appear to indicate that 

 he has confounded this new species with some other Tropidonotus under the same name. 



Tropidonotus nigrocinctus. 



Tropidonotus nigrocinctus, Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1856, xxiv. p. 717. 



Scales in seventeen rows. Ventrals 160 ; subcaudals 81. The penultimate and antepenul- 

 timate upper labials very large. Olive-grey above, passing into bright green towards the 

 head, and conspicuously marked throughout with a series of about fifty narrow transverse 

 black bands, some perfect, others broken and alternating ; head with two broad black 

 lateral streaks, one from behind the eye to the cleft of the mouth, the other below the eye ; 

 a narrow and indistinct black band edging the occipital plates posteriorly ; and behind this 



