CALLOPHIS NIGRESCENS. 351 



Tail marbled with black below, and with two black rings, each of which is variegated with 

 yellow. Belly uniform white (red during life). 



Upper labials six ; temporals elongate, 1 + 1, equal m size. Ventrals 258-274 ; anal bifid ; 

 subcaudals 35. 



Besides the typical specimen from Russell's collection and from the coast of Tenasserim, I 

 have now received a second, which is probably from Bengal. Both agree in every point, only 

 the colours are better preserved in the latter. They are very small, 12 inches long, the tail 

 measuring f inch. 



Jerdon in his " Catalogue of Reptiles inhabiting the Peninsula of India," Journ. As. Soc. 

 Beng. xxii. p. 522, enumerates an Flaps malabaricus, Jerdon, besides an Elaps melanums, 

 Shaw, both being so insufficiently characterized that it is impossible to determine what 

 species had been observed by the [author ; the " E. malabaricus " appears to be the true 

 E. inelanurus, Shaw. 



Callophis maculiceps. 



Elaps melanurus, Cantor, Mai. Rept. p. 106. pi. 40. fig. 6 (not Shaw). 



Elaps maculiceps, Gilnth. Colubr. Snakes, p. 232. 



Callopliis maculicepsj Giinth. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1859, p. 84. pi. 16. fig. D. 



Light bay above, with a series of distant black dots along each side of the back ; belly 

 uniform whitish (red during life). Upper and lateral parts of the snout black, with a white 

 line along the canthus rostralis; three black streaks proceed from the snout and join a 

 broad black collar — one running along the occipital suture, the others from the eye along 

 the temple. Tail marbled with black below, with two black rings. 



Vertical shield six-sided, elongate, much longer than broad; seven upper labials; tem- 

 porals 1+1, the anterior much larger than the posterior. Ventrals 205-247; anal bifid; 

 subcaudals 24-32. 



"We have seen only one specimen of this species, which is found in the Malayan Peninsula ; 

 according to Cantor it exceeds a length of 2 feet. 



Callophis nigeescens. (Plate XXIV. figs. F, F'.) 



Callopliis nigrescens, Giinth. Ann. ^ Mag. Nat. Hist. 1862, ix. p. 131. 

 concinnus, Beddome, Madr. Quart. Journ. Med, Sc. vi. 



Upper parts dark blackish ash, or black, the lower uniform red. Upper part of the head 

 symmetrically marbled with black ; a black spot below the eye ; another descends from the 

 occipital to the angle of the mouth ; a black horseshoe-like collar, with the convexity directed 

 forwards ; a narrow black vertebral line slightly edged with yellowish runs from the collar 



