NOTES ON SNAKLti FROM DARJEELING. 



351 



Ahlabes stoliczkce ( X 2). 



LepidoKts. — The coatals are in 15 rows in 

 the anterior and middle parts of the body 

 13 behind ; the reduction being effected 

 by an absorption of the 3rd row above the 

 ventrals into either of the adjacent rowH. 

 The ventrals and subcaudals are 148 + 131 

 and 152+?, the tail imperfect. The loreal 

 in one specimen is completely confluent 

 with the postnasal forming an elongate 

 shield in contact with the first 3 suprala- 

 bials. The 3rd labial in. the other speci 

 men does not touch the nasal. The colour 

 is uniform and putty-like above, white 

 beneath with an indistinct, ill-defined, fawn, 

 lateral line. A blackish streak passes from 

 the lore, and behind the eye to be lost in the 

 neck. 



Ahlabes rappi. — Giinther. 

 All the 16 specimens collected were from the lower elevations, 5 being from 

 Tindharia and 10 from Pashok. In I the locality was not recorded. 

 My largest was 1 foot 3^ inches long. 



Lepiclosis. — The costals number 15 in the whole body length. In one speci- 

 men however the 6th and 7th rows above the ventrals 

 repeatedly fused, and divided in the anterior parts of the 

 body whilst the last two rows similarly united and 

 divided several times posteriorly so that the rows varied 

 accordingly from 15 to 13. The 5th (penultimate) 

 supralabial is an unusually long shield which is very 

 characteristic of this species. In one specimen the 5th 

 and 6th were completely confluent on one side, and 

 partly so on the other, and in a second partly con- 

 fluent on one side. The last ventral was divided in 

 one example, and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th subcau- 

 dals were entire in another. The loreal, normally small, 

 was specially so in one specimen on one side, and absent 

 on the other, so that the praefrontal touched the 2nd 

 supralabial on that side. In another the loreal was so 

 small on one side that the praefrontal met the 2nd supra- 

 Abhbes rappi (X 2). labial in front of it. In one recently acquired specimen 

 the belly was sulphur yellow, and I think it is probable that in life all the 

 specimens may be yellow beneath. The dorsal yellow in the scales of many 

 Lycodon and the veniral yelluw of Simotes cruenlatus, I know, fade to white 

 almost at once in spirit. Boulenger says there is a double series of transverse 

 9 



