328 COLUBEIDJE. 



deep, the portion visible from above more than half its distance 

 from the frontal ; suture between the internasals as long as that 

 between the prsefrontals or a little shorter; frontal nearly as 

 long as its distance from the end of the snout, or as the parietals ; 

 loreal as long as deep or longer than deep; one prscocular, usually 

 with a small subocular below ; two or three postoculars ; temporals 

 2 + 2 or 2 + 3; upper labials 8, fourth and fifth entering the eye ; 

 4 or 5 lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields ; 

 posterior chin-shields nearly as long as the anterior, separated from 

 each other by two or three series of scales. Scales smooth, in 21 

 or '23 rows. * Ventrals 197-225 ; anal divided ; subcaudals 73-88. 

 Tellowish or brownish olive above, with narrow ^liite, biown, and 

 black variegated cross bands on the anterior half of the lody: 

 these bands may entirely disappear in the adult : lower parts uni- 

 form vellowish. 



Total length 3i feet ; tail 8-5 inches. 



Hnb. Madras Presidency, Bengal, Province Wellesley (Malay 

 Peninsula). 



403. Zamenis diadema. 

 Bttssell, Ind. Serp. u, pi, xxx ; Geofroy, Descr. Eqypte, pi. viii, 



Coluher diadema, Schley. Phys. Serp. n, p. 148. 



Coluber cliffordii, Schley. I. c. p. 163, pi. vi, figs. 13 & 14. 



Perio])S parallelus, Dmn. Sf Bibr. Erp. Ciim. vii, p. GTS ; Jem, Icon. 



Ophid. 20, pi. ii. 

 Zamenis cliffordii, Giinth. Cat. Col. Sn. p. 104; Blemford, P. Z. S. 



1881, p. 679. 

 Zameuis diadema, Gi'inlh. Rept. B. 1. p. 252, pi. xxi, fig. G : Andos. 



P. Z. S. 1871, p. 174 : Stoliczka, P. A. S. B. 1872, p. 82 ; Theob. 



Ccd. p. 171; Bhoif. J. A. S. B. xlviii, 1879, p. 125; Murray, 



Zool. Sind, p. 377. 



Eostral as deep as broad or a little broader than deep, visible 

 from above ; prsefrontals usually broken up into several shields, 

 there being frequently three transverse series of shields between 

 the rostral and the frontal ; frontal as long as or slightly shorter 

 than its distance from the end of the snout, and usually shorter 

 than the parietals ; loreals three to five ; two to four (rarely one) 

 prseoculars, and three or four postoculars ; a series of suboculars 

 separate the labials from the eye ; temporals small and numerous, 

 scale-like ; 10 to 13 upper labials ; 5 lower labials in contact with 

 the anterior chin-shields, which are nearly as long as the posterior. 

 Scales usually more or less obtusely keeled, in 23 to 31 rows. 

 Ventrals usually obtusely angidate laterally, 210-278 ; anal entire ; 

 subcaudals 65-110. Pale buff or sandy grey above, svith more or 

 less marked dark spots, of which the median usually form a series 

 of rhombs ; lower parts white, rarely with small blackish spots. A 

 variety (atriccj^s, Fischer) occurs in Xorthern India, which is re- 

 markable for having the head entirely or partially black above, and 

 the body irregularly spotted or blotched with black. 



Total length 6 feet ; tail 13-5 inches. 



