260 OPHIDIA. 



Scales in nineteen rows ; two prseoeulars ; a series of white ocelli along 



each side of the back ; a black band on the side of head and neck . T. ceylonensis, p. 268. 

 Scales in nineteen rows ; one prseocular, three postoculars ; the fourth, 



fifth, and sixth labials enter the orbit; temporals 1+2 . . . . T. beddomii, p. 269. 

 (*) Scales in seventeen rows ; ventrals 160 ; the penultimate and ante- 

 penultimate upper labials very large T. nigrocinctus , p. 269. 



(*) Scales in seventeen rows; ventrals ca. 128; upper labials 8, the eye 



resting on the third and fourth T. flavipunctatus, p. 270. 



(*) Scales in fifteen rows T. zebrinus, p. 270. 



Scales in nineteen rows ; two prse-, four (three) post-oculars ; an obhque 



black spot on each side of the neck T. tigrimis, p. 271 . 



Scales in nineteen rows. Black, with narrow white rings T. lencomelas, 'p. 271. 



Scales in (twenty-three), twenty-five, (twenty-seven) rows T. plumbicolor, p. 272. 



Tropidonotus quincunciatus. 



fl?me/Z,/n<;?. -Sferp. i.pl.20(bad),pl.28(bad),pl.33; ii. pl.S.fig.l (young), &pls.U, 15 a (young). 



Hydrus piscator et palustris, Schneid. Amph. pp. 247, 24'9. 



Coluber anastomosatus, braminus, et umbratus, Daud. Rept. pp. 140, 144, & 176. 



rectangulus. Gray, Ind. Zool. 



hippus, Reuss, Mus. Senckenb. i. p. 150. pi. 9. fig. 2. 



Tropidonotus quincunciatus et umbratus, Schleg. Phys. Serp. ii. pp. 307, 309. pi. 12. figs. 4, 5. 



umbratus, Cantor, Mai. Rept. p. 89. 



quincunciatus. Bum. ^ Bibr. vii. p. 592. Giinth. Colubr. Snakes, p. 64. 



Head and tail of moderate length, body rather stout ; eye rather small. Scales in nineteen 

 rows. Ventrals 129-146 ; subcaudals 64-80. Anterior frontals pointed in front. One prse- 

 ocular, just reaching to the upper surface of the crown ; three (exceptionally four) postoculars. 

 Loreal large, square. Nine upper labials, the fourth and fifth entering the orbit, the seventh 

 and eighth being the largest. Temporals 2 + 2*. Each maxillary is armed with eighteen 

 teeth, which are small anteriorly but gradually increase in size posteriorly, the last standing 

 in a continuous series with the others, and being but little larger than the preceding. 



The coloration varies exceedingly ; but there are generally two oblique black streaks 

 behind the eye : the upper crosses the temporal plates and the eighth labial ; the lower the 

 inferior postorbital, running along the suture of the sixth and seventh labials. These streaks 

 are absent only in a dark variety from Nepal. The belly is white, each ventral having a 

 more or less distinct blackish anterior margin. The ground-colour of the upper parts is 

 generally greyish or brownish olive. 



Var. a. Square black spots are arranged quincuncially in three, five, six, or seven series ; 

 when they are large they form fewer series than when they are small ; during life the sides 

 are ornamented with a series of scarlet spots, separated from each other by black cross bars. 

 Specimens with this coloration are found in almost every part of India. 



* In one example only, from Gamboja, I found a single anterior temporal shield. 



