292 JOURNAL. BOMB A Y NA TUBAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol XIX. 



tbe 4th .'ind 5th infmlabials. Co.ftals. — Two heads-lengths behind 

 the head 15, midbody 15, two heads-lengths before the anus 15; the' 

 vertebral? not enlarged ; ultimate row not or barely enlarged ; no' 

 keels: apical pits present, single. VenfraJs, — 199 to 243, angulate^ 

 laterally. A^ial. — Entire. SuhcavdaU. — 75 to 87 ; divided. 



Aiwmalies. — The specimen in the Indian Museum above referred 

 to has the anal divided. The costals vary in individuals. The 

 Anamallay specimen in the British Museum has 13 scale rows for a 

 considerable distance anteriorly, and the Cuddapah Hills specimen in 

 the same Institution 13 for some distance anteriorly and posteriorly. 

 Where the rows are 13 that next to the vertebral is unusually large' 

 owing to a confluence of two rows. When the rows reduce again 

 from 15 to 13, the row next to the vertebral coalesces with that below. 



The Iridescent Earth Snake (Xenopeltis Unicolor). 



Nomenclainre. {a) Scientific. — The name of the genus was intro-' 

 duced by Reinwardt in 1827, and is from the Greek f^oe strange, pSxt/i 

 a shield, in allusion to the unusual dis])Osition, and number of the 

 shields on the top of the head, many of which are quite peculiar 

 to this snake. The specific name was also given by Reinwardt and 

 refers to the uniform dorsal colouration. 



(/') EngJi.<h. — The Iridescent Earth-Snake is the best name for it,, 

 the beautiful play of colours seen in the dorsal black on reflected light 

 calling for specitil remark. 



{e) Vernanilar. — 1 know ol none. 



Dimensiovs. — It grows to four feet. A specimen which Evans 

 and I collected in Rangoon measured 3 feet 5i inches, and Colonel 

 Evans has had one 4 feet 1 inch Ions,-. 



Bodily configti ration, etc. — The body is of remarkably uniform 

 girth in its whole length, and broader in its lateral diameter than 

 in the ventro-vertebral. The head is spatulate, the snout broadly 

 rounded, and the head merges into the body without indication of a 

 neck. The eye is remarkably small and the iris very dark so that the 

 pupil is with difficulty discerned in life. When scrutinised closely 

 the iris is seen to bo dark-brown in colour, and the ])upil vertically 

 elliptical. The nostril is small, the tail is decidedly short, measuring 

 from about one-tenth to one-eleventh the total length of the snake. 

 Tiie whole snake exhibits an unusually high polish to its scales. 



