350 JOURNAL, BOMBA Y NA TUBAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. 



hitherto unknown, which I think should be referred to the genus Oligodon. 

 The 9 was gravid, and contained 4 eggs varying from h to -| inch in length. 

 She measured 13J inches, the tail accounting for I5 inches. I have omitted 

 to record the length of the ^ , which was very similar. One was presented to 

 the British Museum, the other to the Indian Museum. 



Description. — /lOs^raZ, —Touches 6 shields ; the nasal sutures are equal to, or 

 rather greater than, the internasals, and about twice the 1st labials ; the portion 

 visible above equal or less than the distance from it to the frontal. 

 Internasals. — Two ; the suture between them equals that between the prse- 

 frontal fellows ; less than half the internasoprsefrontaj sutures. Prcefrontals. — 

 Two ; the suture between them about half the prtefronto-frontal ; in contact 

 with internasals, postnasals, loreals. praBoculars, and supraoculars. Frontal — 

 Touches 6 shields, the sutures of which are subequal ; longer than pavietals. 



Supraoculars. — Length about three-fourths, breadth 

 about one-third that lof the frontal. Nasals — Semi- 

 divided : in contact with the 1st labial only in the ^ . 

 with the 2nd also in the 9. Loreals. — One, small, 

 about half to one-third the length of the nasals. 

 Prceoculars. — One. Postoculars — Two. Temporals. — 

 One anterior. Supralabiah — 7 with theSidand 4th 

 touching the eye on both sides in the $ and on the 

 left side in the 9 , the 4th and 5th touching the eye on 

 the right side in the 9- Infraluhials. 4, the 4th 

 largest and in contact with 2 or 3 scales behind ; the 

 suture between the 1st rather longer than that be- 

 tween the anterior sublinguals. Sublinr/nals. — Two 

 pairs, the posterior about three-fourths the anterior, 

 and touching the 4th only of the infralabial series. 

 CostaU. — 15 in the whole body length ; vertebrals not 

 enlarged ; the last row about twice as broad as the 

 vertebrals ; no keels ; no apical pits. Ventrals. — 152 

 Oligodon melaneus { X 2). in the ^, 159 in the 9. Anal. — Divided in the 9> 

 entire with a basal indication of a division in the ^. Subcaudals. — Divided ; 

 42 in the (J, 40 in the 9- CoZo?<7'.— Uniformly blackish above merging to 

 greyish in the flanks. Discerned closely it is seen to be very finely speckled 

 with black on a grey ground. Beneath, the ^ is uniformly blue-grey of a 

 beautiful shade ; the 9 is of the same shade but specked with black. The grey 

 fades to whitish on the chin and both lips. Eye with round pupil. 



Ablahes stoUcrJcce. — Sclater. 



In the Darjeeling Museum I found two specimens of this little known and 



apparently rare snake of which but 3 specimens have been previously recorded. 



These were from the Naga Hills, Assam ; Samaguting and Bia-po in the 



Karen Hills of Upper Burma. The habitat is now extended to the Eastern 



Himalayas. 



