426 JOUnNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XII. 



convenience of comparison I give in tabulated form descriptions of (1) the 

 pale Malayan cave variety, (2) the typical coloration in other parts of its range, 

 and (3) the jungle vaiiety of the dark race obtained as described above. 



The cave-dwelling form, of which Mr. Ridley's description is a very accurate 

 one, seems to be remarkably constant to one type. In this instance, too, the 

 variation in colour, which usually counts for little or nothing in the case of 

 snakes, seems deserving of consideration when associated with, and apf arently 

 adapted to, the snake's exceptional habitat and surroundings. It appears to 

 me that this is one of the cases for which the trinomial system of nomencla- 

 ture is so suitable, and tViat, though hardly entitled to specific rank, this very 

 marked form might well be indicated as Coluber tceniurus ricUeyi, subsp, n. 



While on the subject of these snakes I may mention that a friend recently 

 came upon one, in the Batu caves, coiled into a cone round a much-crushed 

 but still living bat, from which it appears th:it they occasionally kill the'r prey 

 by constriction. 



Colour Varieties of Coluber Taniurus. 



(1) 



Description of Batu Cave 



BpecimeDs. (H.N. Ridlev, ''Jour. 



S.B.R.A.S."No. 31.,p.99). 



(2) . 

 Description of typical examples 



in Brit. Miis. (B.tulenger, 

 "Fauna of India, Kep.," p. 333). 



(3) 



Description of Pel.ingor 



jungle example. (A. L. 



Butler). 



Head: Bluish-grey; a black 

 line through the eye. 



Neck : Pale ochreous, each 



scale being tipped with 

 isabelline. 



Back : Do. getting paler 

 tow.irds the tail. 



(_No tranavflrae lines or 

 nct-uorW). 



Belly : Pale yellowish- 

 white 



Tail : Has a white bar 

 along the back line, and 

 the under part is also pure 

 white ; along the sides 

 runs a purplish-urey bar, 

 becominir darker towards 

 the tip, where it becomes 

 black. 



Head: Grey-brown or olive; 

 a black line through the 

 eye. 



Neck: Grey-brown or olive. 



(Head and necJi uniforin). 



Back: Interior portion grey- 

 brown or olive with black 

 transverse lines or net- 

 work ; posterior portion 

 with a pale vertebral 

 stripe between two broad 

 black ones. 



Belly: Yellowish anterior- 

 ly, greyish behind. 



Tail : A black stripe along 

 each side of the posterior 

 part of the belly and 

 along each side of the 

 tail, separated from the 

 upper lateral stripe by a 

 whitish streak. 



Head : Centre greyish- 

 brown ; sides above eye- 

 stripe bluish-grey; a black 

 li[ie through the eye. 



NECK:For 6 inches* behind 

 head light olive-brown 

 with a strong reddish 

 tinge (caused by two 

 small red dots on the 

 point of each scale). 



Back: Greenish-olive, pal- 

 ing towards the tail into 

 olivaceous-white between 

 the lateral stripes. 



Belly: Creamy white. 



Tail: The lateral stripes at 

 their commencenaent on 

 the bo<ly warm brown, 

 gradually shading into 

 blackish on the tail ; an 

 indistinct bluish-grey 

 line along each side of 

 the belly, separating the 

 creamy white of the ven- 

 trals from the olive of the 

 upper surface. 



■■' The specimen seemea about 6 feet in length. 



A. L. BUTLER, F.Z.S. 

 Selangor, 1th Novemhtr, 1898, 



