118 BARBOUR: ZOOGEOGRAPHY. 



Holarchus octolineatus (Schneider). 

 Schneider, Hist. Amphib., 1801, 2, p. 299. Boulenger, Cat. snakes Brit, raus., 1894, 2, p. 224. 



Txi])e locality: — unknown. 



This snake is decidedly rare in Java. Only a single specimen was taken 

 during March, 1907, while Bryant got two at Depok. These belong to Bou- 

 lenger's var. A. These color-phases, A and B, really merit no designation, for 

 they occur in as nearly a haphazard manner as can be imagined. It is \-ery 

 probable that " Simotes meyerlinkii" which Steindachner described from the 

 Sulu Islands, is a valid species; it deserves a subspecific rank at least. The 

 number of ventrals is low, 158 in Boulenger's specimen from Tawi Tawi, and 156- 

 161 according to Steindachner. The color also is distinctive. For H. octo- 

 lineatus, the lowest number of ventrals is 165, recorded from Singapore. The 

 average for specimens from many various localities is 176. Javan examples 

 range from V. 175-186, C. 55-58. The Malay name is Ular pi-ter. 



The range of this form includes southern India, the Malay Peninsula, 

 Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. H. meycrlinkii (Steind.) was doubtless evolved 

 by isolation from specimens of this species probably derived from Borneo. 



Oligodon bitorquatus Boie. 

 BoiB, Isis, 1827, p. 519. Boulenger, Cat. snakes Brit, mus., 1894, 2, p. 237. 



Two typical examples seen. Bryant's specimen from Tjibodas, Mt. Gede, 

 4,500 feet, is the only one with specific locality. 



In 1860 Bleeker described Rabdosoma amboinense, which Boulenger placed 

 in the synonymy of this species. I have discussed elsewhere (p. 24) the possi- 

 bility of Bleeker's type ever having seen Ambon, and I believe that it was simply 

 a Javan example, which got mixed into an Ambon collection. This sort of thing 

 evidently happened to Bleeker with startling frequency. 



Liopeltis baliodirus (Boie). 

 Boie, Isis, 1827, p. 539. Boulenger, Cat. snakes Brit, mus., 1894, 2, p. 283. 



Type locality: — East Java {fide Schlegel). 



Having examined an unfortunately small specimen from Sumatra which 

 the M. C. Z. obtained by exchange with the American museum of natural 

 history, I did not find the hypapophyses, which Cope mentioned as being 

 present throughout the vertebral column. So this species may be considered 

 congeneric with the other members of the genus Liopeltis; the latter name 

 should take the place of Ablabes. This has been pointed out by Stejneger 

 (Bull. 58 U. S. nat. mus., 1907, p. 337-338). If, however, hypapophyses are 



