102 MASTICOPinS. 



B. Dorsal rows 15. Tail about J the total length. 



4. Mastlcopllis omatMS, B. & G.— Excessively elongated. Above 

 yerj deep purple, brighter on tlie sides. Beneath mottled. A yellow stripe 

 on each side of the abdomen, and two pairs of short yellow stripes, one be- 

 hind the other, on the anterior part of the body, and in the 4th dorsal rows. 



In this form the peculiar characters are carried to their maximum 

 of development, and the species should be considered as the true 

 type of the genus. The head is narrow, much elongated, and rather 

 depressed ; being considerably less arched than in 31 flagelliformis. 

 The vertical is very much elongated, a little shorter than the oc- 

 cipital. The muzzle is rather broad anteriorly, owing to the greater 

 than usual development of the anterior frontals. The centre of the 

 eye is considerably in advance of the commissural line, and behind 

 the junction of the fourth and fifth labial. The upper ante- 

 orbital is very large, the lower still smaller than in the other species ; 

 in one specimen it is wanting. The sixth labial scarcely touches the 

 postorbital ; in one specimen being separated by a small plate. The 

 loral is elongated, lower than in M. flagelliformis. Labials 8 above, 

 penultimate largest; 9 or 10 below, the fifth largest. Rostral broader 

 than high, the reverse being the case in M. flagelliformis. Dorsal 

 rows of scales 15. The scales are broad, very large, thin, and per- 

 fectly smooth. The edges are nearly straight, tip truncated and 

 rounded off. They are decidedly broader than in M. flagelliformis. 

 General color above dark purple, becoming almost black towards 

 the back, brighter on the sides. The colors are deeper towards the 

 head. Skin between the scales dark. Beneath yellowish, blotched 

 with black. Anteriorly the blotches are in the form of two quite 

 contiguous rows of broad mottled spots, which become broken pos- 

 teriorly, and overspread the abdomen. Anteriorly these are dark 

 brown, posteriorly they are lighter, and tinged with red. The tail 

 is immaculated, reddish white. A distinct yellow line is seen along 

 the outer edge of the scutellae involving the lower edge of the ex- 

 terior row of scales, and through the five exterior rows of purplish 

 scales run stripes of darker ; the bases of the scales being yellow. 

 A very striking mark is to be seen in two pairs of short yellow stripes 

 on each side, one pair commencing opposite to the 10th scutella, and 

 running back about six scales; the second about opposite the 29th 

 scutella, and running back about 10 or 12 scales. The mark is on 



