Catalogue oj Bepfiles. 47 



/ four young. (?) Ceylon. E. L.jLayard, Esq. 



(J. two young. (?) Ditto. Ditto. 



These specimens /. and g. agree in having only one anteocnlar and 

 two postoculars all sub-equal. Unless all young, they may possibly 

 belong to Giinther's 8. cdhi venter, though they* have a loreal, which in 

 his type was wanting, possibly a mere individual peculiarity. 



S. ALBOCiNCTUs, Cautor. 



^enodon purpurascens, Ma^Jc-zoned var. 



Ditto ditto J lohite-hcnuled var, 



a. two adults. Assam. Mr. Robinson. 



h. two adults, one young. 



These differ from the type in having the ante-oculars only two in 

 number and sub-equal. 



S. RussELLii, Daud. 



a. one large and one small specimen. 



I. two adults, one young. C. and S.India, Ceylon, Omerkantak. 



I do not quite understand how these snakes can come from four local- 

 ities as these are stated to do. This vagueness in labelling is much to 

 be deprecated. 



s. ? 



a. five adults. Goalpara. Dr. Thornburn. 



* S. vENUSTUs, Jerdon. West coast. 

 S. BiNOTATUs, Dum. et Bib. Nilghiris. 



* S. ALBIVENTER, Gliuth. 



* S. PUNCTULATUS, Giiuth. Nepal, Khasi hills. 



I am much inclined to question the soundness of Giinther's splitting 

 S. purpurascens into so many shreds as he has done, that is, of giving 

 specific rank to its different varieties. The varieties are perhaps local, 

 but I am far from sure that the number of scales and the size of the 

 oculars relatively and positively is sufficiently fixed to form the basis 

 of specific separation. The pattern, I admit, is wonderfully inconstant, 

 but the head-markings and aspect of what have hitherto been ranked 

 as varieties of S. purpurascens, have so strongly marked and uniform a 

 character, that I incline to the old arrangement rather than to the 

 new. A better series than we possess in this Museum is much wanted, 

 and an authentic one as far as locality, to aid in solving this point. 



S. CRUENTATUS, Th. U. S. 



Scales in seventeen rows. Nasals large, loreal small, anteocnlar one, 

 postoculars two, anal bifid. Upper labials seven, fourth and fifth enter 

 orbit. Eye moderate, pupil large, black. Habit more slender than 

 S. hicatenatus. Colour above uniform umber-brown, without markings, 

 the colour extending over the edges of the ventral plates, beneath 

 yellowiish white, with numerous square black blotches. Tail beneath 



