9t 



lateral intervals anteriorly ; belly black- spotted ; black post- 

 orbital markings. 

 China. 



T. LEUCOMELAS, Gthv. 



Scales 19, strongly keeled. Ventrals 129, subc. 61. Black 

 above, white below, with about 23 narrow white rings rising 

 across the back; head greenish olive, with black collar, 

 3^ellow-edged posteriorly. 

 Straits. 



T. PLUMBICOLOR, Cantor. The green ground-sncike. Plate 



XV, % 2. 



Scales 25 (23-27), strongly keeled. Veriti-als 150-162, 

 subc. 35-47. The loreal sometimes wedges itself between 

 the preoculars, entering the orbit ; and conversely the lower 

 preocular sometimes pushes in between the loreal and the 

 labials. Bright green ; a broad yellow black-margined >■ 

 collar ; narrow black cross-bars with alternate black spots 

 and, frequently, alternate white interstitial cross-lines. These 

 beautiful colours are said to fade in the adult (hence T. 

 2>lumhicolor, Cantor instead of Xenodon viridis the name 

 given by Dumdril and Bibron) ; but in Bangalore, where 

 the snake is ver}'- common I have not observed this change. 

 My largest specimen, 28 inches long (tail 3 J inches) was 

 bright green only the interstitial colours beginning to fade. 

 Belly white. 



Southern India, and as far north as Nagpore. 



T. PUNCTULATUS, Gthr. Plate XIV, fig. 2. 



Scales 17, obtusely keeled. Ventrals 140-156, subc. 68-83. 

 Tail compressed at the root. Upper parts either jet black, 

 or (in old specimens) brown irregularly spotted with white ; 

 belly and outer 2 rows of scales white, with a zigzag black 

 or brown line along the junction of the ventrals and outer 

 scales ; labials white ; subcaudals have a black posterior 

 margin. Grows to 30 inches. • 



Burma. 



