120 Catalogue of Reptiles inhabiting the 



Grass green above, lighter on the sides, frequently interrupted by 

 zig-zag lines, produced by the black interstitial skin ; the tail in some 

 bright cinnamon-red ; from the sides of the neck along the lowest * 

 series of scales a pale yellow line. Lips, throat and abdominal surface 

 greenish yellow ; scutella in some spotted with cinnamon-colour. Iris 

 golden, dotted with brown, but leaving a narrow margin bordering the 

 elliptical black pupil, which is vertically contracted by the light. 

 Tongue pale bluish with black apex. 



Scuta 165 to 170; Scutella 58 to 71. 



Habit. — Pinang, Singapore, Malayan Peninsula. 



New-Holland,* Timor, Pulo Samao, Celebes, Eastern Java, 

 Banka, Sumatra, Tenasserim, Bengal, Chirra Piinji, Nipalf 

 Coromandel, Ceylon. 



Var. 

 Syn.— -Coluber gramineus, Var. apud Raffles, 1. c. 



Differs from the preceding by its Indian or brick-red line on each 

 side. 



Habit. — Pinang, Singapore, Malayan Peninsula. 

 Sumatra, Tenasserim. 



In the Malayan hills and valleys the variety is by far the more nu- 

 merous : it is indeed the most common of the venomous serpents. In 

 Bengal I never observed but a single young one, (T. erythrurus,) cap- 

 tured in the Sunderbuns. It is generally observed on trees, hanging 

 down from the branches, or concealed under the dense foliage ; it preys 

 on small birds and tree-frogs [Polypedates leucomystax, (Gravenhorst.)] 

 But occasionally it descends to the ground, in search of frogs and 

 toads. The neck is covered by 27, the trunk by 23 or 25 ovate im- 

 bricate, keeled scales. The tail is prehensile. 



Of a number examined none exceeded the following dimensions : 



Length of the head, ft. If inch. 



Ditto ditto trunk, 2 



Ditto ditto tail, 5| 



'8 



2 ft. 7i inch. 



8 



* Lacepede, on the authority of M. Baudin. 

 t Specimen in Mr. Hodgson's collection. 



