22 



Singapore; Penang; Malay Peninsula; Nicobars; Burma; Siam; 

 Indo-China; Philippines. 



A very common snake, living in the neighbourhood of water 

 and feeding on mammals and birds; nocturnal. The eggs are 

 large, oval, soft-shelled and are incubated by the female. 



2. Python molurus (L.). 



Coluber molurus^ Linne, Syst. Nat. I 1766, p. 387. 



Python hivittatus^ part., Schlegel, Phys. Seip. Ill 1837, p. 403, pi. XV, fig. i — 4. 



Python molurus^ Boulenger, Cat. Sn. I 1893, p. 87. 



Python bivittattis^ Werner, Zool. Jahrb. Syst. XXVIII 1909, p. 271. 



Rostral more broad than deep, visible from above, with a 

 deep pit on each side; internasals about one time and a half 

 as long as broad; a pair of large praefrontals; supraocular 

 large; frontal divided; two prae- and three or four postoculars; 

 sometimes a series of suboculars (fig. lo^^*); eleven to thirteen 

 upper labials, two anterior deeply pitted, usually sixth or seventh 

 entering the eye (fig. \oa)\ some anterior and posterior lower 

 labials pitted. Scales in 61 — 75 rows; ventrals 242 — 265; anal 

 entire; subcaudals 60 — 72. 



Dark brown above, with blackish markings bordering long, 

 subquadrangular spots; flanks with large black-edged spots, 

 with lighter or whitish centres; head with a triangular dark 

 marking, sometimes distinct from the tip of the snout to the 

 nape; a dark lateral streak, passing through the eye and a 

 dark vertical bar below the eye. Lower surface yellowish, 

 brown-spotted on the sides. Length of head and body 2400 mm.; 

 tail 300 mm.; reaches a length of 10 M. 



Habitat: Java; Celebes (Bonthain). — Malay Peninsula; 

 Indo-China; S. China; Siam; India; Ceylon. 



Note. P. bivittatus Schleg. has been regarded by BouLENGER 

 as a synonym of P. molurus L. WERNER (op. cit.) distinguishes 

 P. bivittatus as a distinct species, after having seen in the 

 Vivarium in Vienna two kinds: light Pythons [molurus) and 

 dark Pythons [bivittatus). The difference between these two 

 forms is in the colour, in the scaling of the head and in length. 

 Werner describes them as follows : In P. molurus there is one 

 labial entering the eye; the animal does not grow longer than 

 about 4 M. and is of a greyish- or yellowish-brown colour, 

 with reddish-brown, dark-edged spots, those of the flanks 



