923 



A NEW SNAKE FROM ASSAM. 

 OLTGODON ERYTHRORHACHTS. 



BY 



Major F. Wall, i.m.s., c.m.z.s. 

 {With a Plate.) 



Among other snakes sent to me from Namsang, Jui[)ur, Assam, bv 

 Mr. C. Gore, I find one belonging to the genus OUgodon, v/hich has not 

 been previously described. It is a $ ?, measuring 1 toot 2| inches, 

 of which the tail accounts for 2f inches. 



Lepidotth. — Rostral touches G shields, the rostro-nasal and rostro- 

 intemasal sutures subequal, and nearly twice the rostro-labials. 

 Tnternasals a pair, the suture between them nearly equal to that 

 between the prsefrontal fellows, less than half the internaso-prajfront- 

 als. Prcefrontals a pair, the suture between them less than half the 

 praetronto-frontals ; in contact with intemasal, nasal, 2nd labial, 

 praeocular, supraocular and frontal. Frontal touches 6 shields, the 

 supraocular sutures rather longest. Supraoculars length about 

 four-fifths, breadth less than half that of frontal. Parietals touch 

 one postocular. Nasals undivided, in contact with the 1st and 2n(l 

 labials. Loreal absent, (perhaps confluent with the praefrontal). Prcn- 

 ocular one. Postocular s two. Temporal one, touching the 5th and 6th 

 labials. Supralabials 7 ; the 3rcl and 4th touching the eye. Jnfra- 

 labials 4, the 4th largest, and in contact with two scales behind. Suh- 

 linguah two pairs, the posterior about |rds the length of the 

 anterior, and in contact with the 4th only of the infralabial series. 

 Costah two head-lengths behind the head 15, midbody 15, two head- 

 lengths before the anus 13. In the reduction from 15 to 13, the 3rd 

 and 4th rows above the ventrals unite. Vertebrals not enlarged. 

 Ultimate row barely enlarged. No keels. No apical pits. Ventrah 

 154, not angulate. Anal divided. Subcaudals 46 pairs. 



Colour. — The dorsal ground colour is dark grey, but when looketl 

 at closely, this effect is produced by a very fine powdering of black 

 specks on a light grey groimd. A bright red vertebral band passes 

 from the nape to the tail tip, involving the vertebral, and one and a half 

 rows on each side. Narrow, black, light-edged cross-bars pass over 

 the back, 29 on the body, 7 on the tail, and become more or less 



