NYMPHOPHIDIUM MACULATUM. 235 



again are marbled with brown ; the first cross band occupies the head, the second the neck, 

 both being separated by a white collar. Lower parts uniform white. 



A single specimen was brought to this country by Captain B. H. Beddome from the 

 Anamallay Mormtains ; it is 21 inches long, the tail measuring 4 inches. Another specimen 

 is figured in Mr. W. Elliott's collection of drawings ; it was killed at Waltair. 



NYMPHOPHIDIUM, Gthr. 



This genus agrees with Odontomus in every respect but the dentition, 

 the three posterior maxillary teeth being very strong and trenchant ; neither 

 the palatine nor the mandibulary teeth are enlarged. 



I know of only one species. 



NtMPHOPHIDIUM MACULATUM. (Plate XIX. fig. H.) 



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

 tail slender, compressed. Rostral rather broader than high, just reaching the upper surface 

 of the head ; anterior frontals quadi-angular, as long as broad, obliquely trimcated in front, 

 more than half as large as posterior ; posterior much broader than long ; vertical of mode- 

 rate size, with the lateral margins slightly convergent; occipitals as long as vertical and 

 posterior frontals together, slightly notched behind. Nostril between two small nasals, 

 indistinctly separated by a suture ; loreal long, quadrangular, entering the orbit ; a small 

 prseorbital above ; two postorbitals ; seven upper labials, the third and fourth entering the 

 orbit. Temporals rather UTegularly arranged, two being in contact with the postoculars. 

 Scales smooth, in fifteen rows. Ventrals 244 ; anal entire ; subcaudals 107. Each maxil- 

 lary is armed with a continuous series of six or seven teeth, the three last of which are 

 comparatively very strong and trenchant. There are two obtusely conical prominences on 

 the base of the skull, one behind the other, not covered by the mucous membrane of the 

 cavity of the mouth ; their white colour makes them very conspicuous. The specimen is 

 now light brownish, with two dorsal series of rounded dark-brown spots ; they are confluent 

 into one series on the anterior part of the body, and become smaller on the posterior and on 

 the tail ; sides with very small brown spots ; lower parts uniform whitish. 



The only specimen I have seen is fi-om General Hardwicke's collection, and marked 

 " India" ; it appears to be young, being only 12 inches long, the tail measming 2f inches. 



We have given on Plate XIX. two views of the head, of twice its natural size, and a figure 

 of a portion of the back from the anterior third of the length, of the natural size, to show 

 its coloration. 



2h2 



