63 



as deep; one prae- and two or three postoculars; temporals 

 1+2 + 2 or 2 + 2+2, the upper anterior small ; eight upper 

 labials, fourth and fifth entering the eye; four or five lower 

 labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields ; latter much 

 shorter than the posterior. Scales in 13 rows, the vertebrals 

 about as long as the outer; ventrals 159 — 163; anal divided; 

 subcaudals 121 — 140. 



Olive-brown above, with black oblique bands anteriorly ; neck 

 bluish; dark spots on the parietals, frontal and supraoculars; 

 a dark stripe along the upper border of the posterior labials 

 to the eye; loreal, nasal and anterior labials with dark poste- 

 rior sutures; an indistinct dark longitudinal band behind the 

 head and a short stripe behind each parietal. Lower surface 

 olive-brown ; bluish below the neck, yellowish on the throat. 

 Length of head and body 580 mm.; tail 240 mm. 



Type-specimen examined in the Leiden Museum. 



Habitat: New Guinea (Mimika river, Lorentz river!). 



4. Dendrophis punctulatus (Gray). 



I.eptophis punctulatus^ ^''^yj King's Voy. Austral. II 1827, p. 432. 

 Dendropliis punctulatus. Boulenger, Cat. Sn. II 1S94, p. 82. 



Maxillary teeth 23 — 26; eye not longer than its distance 

 from the posterior border of the nostril. Rostral one time and 

 a half to one time and two thirds as broad as deep, visible 

 from above; internasals as long as or a little longer than the 

 praefrontals; frontal as long as or longer than its distance 

 from the tip of the snout, shorter than the parietals; loreal 

 more long than deep; one prae- and two postoculars; tem- 

 porals 1 + 2, 2 + 2 or I + I, anterior long; seven or eight 

 (nine) upper labials, fourth and fifth (fifth and sixth) entering 

 the eye ; five lower labials in contact with the anterior chin- 

 shields; latter much shorter than the posterior. Scales in 13 

 rows, vertebrals about as large as outer; ventrals 191 — 220; 

 anal divided; subcaudals 118 — 144. 



Olive or brown above, uniform or with black-edged scales; 

 some scales with yellowish outer border; upper lip yellow\ 

 Lower surface olive or brown with yellowish keels; throat and 

 anterior ventrals yellow ; the posterior ventrals sometimes 

 marbled with black or black in the middle and the subcaudals 

 black with yellow keels. Length of head and body 1200 mm.; 

 tail 440 mm. 



