TRIMERESURUS STRIGATUS. 389 



margin buff runs from the pit through the eye, to behind the angle of the mouth ; on each 

 side of the back a series of distant spots or short transverse streaks, half cinnamon-, half buff- 

 coloured. Lower parts uniform greenish yellow. This garb may be observed in specimens 

 up to 16 inches in length. Specimens from Borneo, Sumatra, Celebes, the Philippine Islands, 

 show this or a similar coloration long after they have attained to maturity*. 



In half-groiO)i specimens (about 22 inches long) all the scales are edged with blackish, 

 having a yellowish-green centre. Distinct greenish-yellow bands, as broad as a scale, encu'cle 

 the body ; the head is varied with black and green above, both colours being equally dis- 

 tributed ; a greenish-yellow streak, edged with black below, runs along the canthus rostralis 

 and along each side of the crown of the head. Lower parts yellow, each ventral with a 

 blackish margin. 



Old specimens (3 feet long) are black, with about thirty-five bright-yellow cross bands, 

 each as broad as a scale ; numerous scales on the sides and a few on the back have a yellow 

 ocellus, but a few of the scales on the upper side of the head are yellow ; a yellow band from 

 the eye towards the angle of the mouth ; hinder part of the tail entirely black. The lips, the 

 outer series of scales, and the ventrals bright yellow, each shield and scale edged with black. 



This variety is common in the Malayan peninsula ; other varieties occur in almost all the 

 larger islands of the Ai'chipelago. It exceeds a length of three feet, and feeds on small mam- 

 mals, birds, and frogs. 



Trimebesueus stkigatus. (Plate XXIV. fig. D.) 



Trimesui'us strigatus, Gi-ay, Zool. Misc. p. 48. 



Trigouoceplialus neelglierrieusis, Jerdon, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1854, xxii. p. 524. 



The shield forming the front part of the facial pit is separate from the second upper labial. 

 Supraciliary shield narrow ; no larger shields behind the rostral. The whole upper surface 

 of the head is covered with small nearly smooth scales. Nine or ten upper labials, becoming 

 smaller in size behind. Scales distinctly keeled, in twenty-one series. Ventrals 136-142 ; 

 subcaudals 31-40. Tail but slightly prehensile, terminating in a short conical scale. Brown, 

 with series of large irregular darker spots ; a horseshoe-like or j^ -shaped white marking on 

 the neck, sometimes rather indistinct. Lips yellowish ; generally a triangular black spot 

 below the eye and below the facial pit ; an indistinct brown band from the eye to the side of 

 the neck; lower jaw with black spots; belly marbled with black. Extremity of the tail 

 white in young specimens. 



This species is found in the Nilgherries and in the Dekkan. It does not attain to a con- 

 siderable size, our largest specimen being 19 inches long, the tail measuring 2^ inches. 



* We have received a specimen from Dr. P. v. Bleeker's collection witli the name of " TVopidolcemus 

 schlegelii." 



