DEKDEOPHIS. 337 



Genus DENDROPHIS, 



Boie, Isis, 1827, p. 520. 



Maxillav}' teeth 25 to 30, subequal in size ; anterior mandibular 

 teeth longest. Head distinct from neck, elongate ; eye large, with 

 round pupil ; head-shields normal. Body elongate, compressed ; 

 scales smooth, with apical pits, in 13 or 15 rows, disposed 

 obliquely, those of the median row enlarged (see fig. 88, p, 281) ; 

 ventrals with suture-hke lateral keel and a notch on each side 

 corresponding to the keel ; subcaudals in two rows. 



Dlistrihutioii. About ten species are known, from the East Indies 

 and Northern Australia. Habits essentially arboreal. 



Synopsis of Indian, C'eylonese, and Burmese Species. 



A. Scales in 15 rows. 



«. Eye extremely larp:e, as long as its 



distance from rostral shield 1). (/randoailis, p. 837. 



/;. Distance between eye and rostral ex- 

 ceeds diameter of eye. 

 a'. One loreal ; two or three labials 



enter eye U. pittas, p. 337. 



b' . One loreal ; a single labial enters 

 eye ; vertebral scales very little 



enlarged D. subocularis, p. 388. 



c. Two loreals ; two labials enter the 



eye D. bifrenalis, p. 338. 



B. Scales in 13 rows I>. caudolineolatus, p. 339. 



41G. Dendrophis grandociilis. 



Eye extremely large, as long as its distance from the rostral. 

 Eostral much broader than long, visible from above, its upper bor- 

 der nearly straight ; suture between the internasals as long as that 

 between the pra^frontals or a little longer ; frontal as long as its 

 distance from the end of the snout, as long as the parietals ; loreal 

 elongate; one prse- and two postoculars ; temporals 2+2; upper 

 labials 9, fourth, fifth, and sixth entering the eye ; 5 lower labials 

 in contact with the anterior chin-shields, ^^ hich are shorter than 

 the posterior. Scales in 15 rows, vertebrals nearly as large as the 

 .i> outer row. Ventrals 174-170; anal divided; subcaudals 117. 

 Olive-brown above, \\ith irregular small black blotches ; eye bor- 

 dered with whitish ; lower parts pale olive. 



Total length 4 feet ; tail Vdh inches. 



Hah. This species was discovered by Col. Beddome in the 

 Travancore and Tinnevelly hills, between 2000 and 3000 feet, and 

 in the Canoot Ghat, AVynaad, at 2500 feet. 



417. Dendrophis pictus. 



Russell, Inch Sej-p. ii, pis. xxv, & xxvi. 

 Coluber pictus, G'mel. Si/gf. Xat.i, p. 1110. 



Dendropliis picto, Boie, Isis, 1827, p. 530 ; Dvm. ^- Bibr. Erp. Gen. 



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