340 JOURNA L, BOMB A Y NA TURAL HISTOR Y SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. 



a single shield. The detail of the scales partly owing to the diminutive size of 

 the snake is most d JBcult to see. I believe, however, the detail in the figure 

 attached is accurate. 



Boin/E. 

 Python molurv,s. — (Linn"). 

 One small specimen was captured at Tindharia. A small stuffed example, 

 and the skin of a faiily large specimen are in the Darjeeling Museum. 



COLDBRIDyK. 



Polyodontophis collaris (Gray). 



I obtained 58 specimens of this common hill snake. 5 of these were from 

 Kurseoag, 2 from Darjeeling, 46 from Pa?hok, 1 from Tindharia and 4 are 

 doubtfully from one or other of the last two localities. The single example 

 from Tindharia shows it is rare below 3,000 feet. 



One shield character demands special remai'k, vis., the temporal. In every 

 specimen I have seen of this snake from China (Hongkong) westwards, and I 

 have seen well over one hundred, the temi/oral touches the 8th only of the 

 supralabial series, which is an unusually high shield. I mention this because 

 Boulenger says the anterior temporals are one or two, and he figures, Catalogue 

 Vol. I, 1893 (Plate xii, fig. Ic), a lower temporal touching two of the supralabial 

 series. I am strongly inclined to the view that this arrangement denotes a 

 species apart. The constancy of these shields in this Genus is remarkable, so 

 much so that I believe they can be relied upon to carry considerable weight 

 in differentiating the species, some of which are very closely allied and in 

 consequence have been confused. The largest specimen was a 9 2 feet 6| 

 inches long, the smallest probably a hatchling was killed in July and measured 

 8^ inches. In one the ;^rd subcaudal shield was entire. One was killed in the 

 act of swallowing a skink {Lyfjosoma indica). 



7 ropidonotus paralleltm (B^gr). 



I only saw two specimens of this seemingly rare snake, one was collected at 

 Pashok in September. The other was in the collection of St. Joseph's College, 

 probably of local origin, but locality not recorded. The species is remarkably 

 like ^jui^ceps in general appearance. The anterior temporals are two in one 

 specimen. The ventral and subcaudals are 163 + 92, and 167 + 88, the 3rd 

 and 4th subcaudals entire in one specimen. 



TropidoHoius piscator (Schneider). 



The solitary specimen received was one of variety quincuncialus, and obtained 

 below Tindharia. It is evident this snake rarely leaves the plains and then 

 only ascends to the low foot hills. 



Tropido7iotus platyveps (Blyth). 



This is an extremely common snake in this part of the Himalayas between 

 5,000 and 6,000 feet. Of a collection of 242 specimens made in Kurseong 57 

 were of this species, but below 4,500 feet it was far less common. I got 1 1 from 

 Pashok, 2 from Tindharia, and one from Phoobsering (circa 4,500 ft.). Above 

 6,500 feet I got but 1, viz., from Darjeeling. The most remarkable feature in 



