Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 85 



superior labials 9, inferior 10 or 11 ; one prse-orbital, two, in some 

 three small post-orbitals. The trunk is covered by 15 longitudinal 

 series of smooth, imbricate scales ; the central dorsal series is wedge- 

 shaped, in some almost hexagonal, the next six are linear, but the 

 lowest, as well as all the scales of the tail, are broad rhombic with 

 rounded points. In a female were found seven coriaceous, whitish 

 eggs of an elongated cylindrical shape, each If inch in length. In 

 habits and mode of attack this species resembles Dryinus prasinus, 

 but it is not exclusively arborial. Probably no instance affords a more 

 striking difference in colours, between species and variety than the 

 present : the former with dazzling brilliant livery ; the latter in its 

 plain, dull colours. Both attain to similar size : the largest male 

 examined was of the following dimensions : 



Length of the head, ft. 1^ inch. 



Ditto ditto trunk, 2 6 



Ditto ditto tail, 1 1 



3 ft. 8^ inch. 

 Circumference of the neck, If, of the trunk, 2, of the root of the 

 tail, 1 inch. This serpent appears to possess uncommonly acute 

 hearing, and turns its head in the direction of the sound. 



Leptophis caudalineatus, N. S. 



Syn. — Ahpctula caudolineata, Gray : Illust, Ind. Zool. 

 Dendrophis ornata, Var, Schlegel. 



Head, trunk, and tail above light brownish bronze, the scales with 

 black edges ; on the posterior half of the trunk four parallel black 

 lines, terminating at the root of the tail, from whence commences a 

 single central black line ; sides metallic mother-of-pearl, from a short 

 distance behind the head bordered by two parallel black lines of which 

 the lower, the broader, covers the lower half of the last series of scales 

 and the lateral part of the scuta ; both the lines continue to the apex 

 of the tail. Lips, throat and abdominal surface pale metallic citrine ; 

 the tail beneath with a black central line. Iris golden, dotted with 

 brown ; pupil round ; tongue bluish white, the forked part black. 



Young. Upper parts of the body Indian red, with metallic reflec- 

 tions. 



Scuta 183 to 188, Scutella 105 to 110. 



