332 COLUBEID^. 



behind the eye ; some specimens have a white, black-edged collar, 

 others two black lougitudiiial streaks on the head ; others, again, 

 are intermediate in this respect. Lower parts yellowish, with or 

 Avithout a few small black spots, sometimes with a more or less 

 distinct festooned marking on each side. 



Total length 4| feet ; tail 10 inches. 



Ilab. Sind, Eajputana, Cutch, Bombay, and Madras Presi- 

 dencies ; Ceylon. 



407. Coluber reticularis. 



Colulier reticularis, Cantor, P. Z. S. IS-'iO, p. 51. 

 Conip.'^osoma reticulare, Gihtth. licpt. B. I. p. 245, p], xxi, 6g. 1); 

 Anders. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 172; T/ieoh. Cat. p. 100. 



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

 from abo^■e ; suture between the internasals much shorter than 

 that between the praefrontals ; frontal as long as its distance from 

 the end of the snout or a little shorter, as long as the parietals or 

 a little shorter ; loreal longer than deep ; one large praeocular, often 

 with a small subocular beloA^- ; two (exceptionally three) postocu- 

 lars; temporals 2-1-2 or 2 + 3; upper labials 8, fourth and fifth 

 entering the eye ; 5 lower labials in contact with the anterior chin- 

 shields, wbich are as long as the posterior or a little longer. 

 Scales in 19 or 21 rows, feebly keeled on the posterior part of the 

 body. Ventrals 213-232 ; anal usually undivided ; subcaudaLs 

 65-76. Brown above, darker behind, anteriorly with squarish 

 dark bro\An spots, posteriorly with more or less distinct light 

 cross bands ; head uniform pale brown ; lower surface yellowish, 

 spotted with brown or black, or nearly uniform dark brown. 



Total length 4 feet ; tail 9 inches. 



Hah. Eastern Himalayas (3000-4000 feet), Xhasi and Garo 

 Hills. 



408. Coluber hodgsonii. 



Spilotes bodgsoiiii, Gi'inth. P. Z. S. 18G0, p. 150, pi. xxvii. 

 Compsosoirialiodgsonii,6'(/«//?. Rept. B. I. p. 240; Sto/ic::I,ri, ,7. A. S. B, 

 xxxix, 1870, p. 189, and xl, 1871, p. 430; Theob. Cat. p. 100. 



Eostral as deep as broad, visible from above ; suture between 

 the internasals much shorter than that between the prefrontals ; 

 frontal as long as its distance from the end of the snout or a little 

 shorter, shorter than the parietals; loreal longer than deep, often 

 united with the pra^frontal ; one large praeocular (a small sub- 

 ocular below the prseocular rarely present) ; two postoculars ; 

 temporals 2 + 2 or 2 + 3; normally 8 upper labials, fourth and 

 fifth entering the eye ; 5 lower labials in contact with the anterior 

 chin-shields, which are as long as the posterior or a little longer. 

 Scales in 23 rows, feebly keeled on the posterior part of the bodv. 

 Ventrals 233-246 ; anal divided ; subcaudals 79-00. Brownish 

 olive above, most of the scales black-edged ; young with blackish 



