254 OPHIDIA. 



The coloration here described is pecuHar to the Indian variety of a species which extends 

 throughout the whole of South-western Asia to Egypt, and the Egyptian variety of which 

 is known by different names — Z.florulentus, &c. The typical specimens of Z. ventrimacu- 

 latus are said to be from Bengal, but it is more probable that they came from the western 

 parts of the Indian region. A specimen which we received from INIesopotamia agrees com- 

 pletely with the types : the largest of the latter is a mature female, 35 inches long, the tail 

 measuring 9 inches ; but we have seen examples which were about 4 feet long. 



Z.^MENIS GRACILIS. (Plate XXI. fig. H.) 



Zameuis gracilis, GUnth. Ann. i^ Mag. Na(. Hist. 1862, February, p. 125. 



Head rather narrow, distinct fi"om neck ; body and tail slender, scarcely compressed ; eye 

 of moderate size. Rostral shield as high as broad ; anterior frontals half as large as posterior, 

 broader than long. Vertical five-sided, broad in front, with the lateral margins concave. 

 Occipitals rounded behind. Loreal square ; two praeoculars : the upper is in contact with 

 the vertical ; the lower small — apparently a separate portion of the fourth labial. Two 

 postoculars. Upper labials nine, the fifth and sixth coming into the orbit. Temporals 

 2 + 2 + 3 + 3, the two anterior in contact with the postoculars. Scales elongate, narrow, 

 smooth, in twenty-one rows — some mth a pair of very indistinct apical grooves. Ventrals 

 219; anal bifid; subcaudals 120. Abdomen with a slight ridge on each side. Each maxil- 

 lary is armed witlr twelve teeth, the last of which is longer than the others, and somewhat 

 remote from the preceding. Yellowish olive, with a single series of large round brown spots 

 edged with black, along the anterior half of the trunk ; the spots become indistinct pos- 

 teriorly, and only the black edges continue, forming cross bars on the back, but merely 

 spots on the tail. A blackish streak across the snout ; crown of the head with two brown, 

 black-edged cross bands, the anterior between and below the eyes ; the posterior across the 

 occipitals, forming an acute angle on the vertical. The first brown nuchal spot is produced 

 forward within the limbs of the occipital cross band. An irregular series of black spots on 

 each side of the belly, which is uniform yellow. 



This species is found in the Dekkan and in Sindh ; it attains to a length of 33 inches, the 

 tail measuring 10 inches. 



Zajvienis fasciolatus. (Plate XXI. fig. F.) 



Russell, Ind. Serp. i. pi. 21. 



Coluber fasciolatus, Shaw, Zool. iii. p. 528. Cantor, Mai. Rept. p. 72. 



hebe, Baud. Rept. vi. p. 385. 



currirostris, Cantor, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1839, p. 51. 



Corypliodon fasciolatus, Giinth.'Colubr. Snakes, p. 109. 



Tyria fasciolata, Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. 1862, p. 338. 



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



