302 COLUBEID^. 



A. jlavkejps, Gthr., are colour varieties ; one from Madagascar, 

 P. rliodog aster, Hclileg. {■=CoroneUa torquata, Blgr.); one from the 

 Comoro Is., P. comorensis, Ptrs. ; and two from Central America, 

 P. annulatus, D. & B., and sumichrasti, Bocourt. 



Si/)io])sis of Indian, Ceylonese, and Burmese Species. 



A. Upper border of rostral shield just visible 



from above. 



a. Subcaudals 100 or more ; 10 upper labials ; 



parietal not in contact with lower post- 

 ocular P. cuUuris, p. 302. 



b. Subcaudals less than 80; 9 or 10 upper 



labials; parietal in contact with both 



postoculars P. suhpuiictutui, p. 303. 



c. Subcaudals le.ss than 80; 7 or 8 upper 



labials; parietal in contact with both 



postoculars P. sa(jittarius, p. 303. 



B. Portiou of rostral visible from above mea- 



suriug' two hfths its distance from frontal ; 

 t-ubcaudals less than 80; or 10 upper 

 labials P. histrigatux, p. 304. 



363. Polyodontopliis collaris. 



Psammophis collaris, Gray, A. N. 31. H. (2) xii, 1853, p. 390. 

 Ablabes collaris, Giinth. Rept. B. I. p. 228 ; Stolickza, J. A. S. B. xl, 



1871, p. 430 ; Anders. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 171 ; Theub. Cat. p. 150 ; 



Anders. An. Zool. Res. Yunnan, Rept. p. 810. 

 Ablabes chineusis, Gunth. A. M. N. H. (6) iv, 1889, p. 220. 



Eostral twice as broad as deep, just visible from above ; suture 

 bet^^•eeu the interuasals shorter than that betueeu the pra^Froutals : 

 frontal longer than its distance from the end of the snout, as long 

 as the parietals or shorter ; loreal as long as or a little longer 

 than deep ; one pra^ocular ; two postoculars, only the upper in 

 contact with the parietal ; temporals 1 (or 2) -f 2 ; 9 or 10 upper 

 labials, fourth, fifth, and sixth entering the eye; 4 lower labials in 

 contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are as long as the 

 posterior. Scales in 17 rows. Ventrals 159-190; anal divided; 

 subcaudals 102-131. Brown above, vertebral region greyish, 

 usually with a series of small round black spots ; head with small 

 black spots or vermiculations above, and two black cross-bands, 

 one across the posterior part of the frontal and supraoculars, the 

 other across the occiput ; a large black nuchal spot or cross-band, 

 bordered \^'ith yello\\" ])osteriorly ; a black line from the nostril to 

 the nuchal spot, passing through the eye, bordering the white 

 black-dotted upper lip. Lower parts yellowish, each ventral with 

 an outer black spot or streak, ^^'hich may be confluent on the 

 posterior part of the body ; anterior ventrals with a pair of median 

 dots in addition. 



Total length 29 inches ; tail 9-5. 



Hah. Himalayas (to 10,000 feet, and as far \\'est as Simla), Assam, 

 Arrakau, Upper Burma, S. China. 



