SERPENTES. 117 



Elaphe melanura (Schlegel). 



ScHLEGEL, Essai phys. Serp., 1837, 3, p. 141, pi. 5, fig. 11-12. Boulenger, Cat. snakos Brit, mus., 

 1894, 2, p. 60-61. 



Type locality: — probably Java was the locality whence the first specimens 

 came, but Schlegel states that specimens from Sumatra and Celebes were in the 

 Leyden museum at the time of his writing. He states that Reinwardt took two 

 specimens, these were probably his Javan examples. 



I found this species rare in Java; a single young specimen only was taken 

 on the mountain slopes above Tjibodas; while Bryant got four at Buitenzorg, 

 two on Mt. Salak at 2,200 feet, and one on Mt. Gede near Tjibodas. It has a 

 median dorsal stripe of brilliant lemon-yellow beginning on the head and running 

 about one third the length of the body. No. 2,197 M. C. Z. is an adult from Java 

 identified by Jan and received from Dumeril. 



This species occurs on the mainland in Burma, southern China, and the 

 Malay Peninsula; among the islands it has recently been taken on Sumatra, 

 Nias, Borneo, and Java. The specimens spoken of by Schlegel from Celebes 

 were undoubtedly E. erythrura (Dum. & Bibr.). 



Dendrophis pictus (GurELiN). 

 Gmelin, Syst. nat., 1769, 1, p. 1116. Boulenger, Cat. snakes Brit, mus., 1894, 2, p. 78-79- 



Type locality: — unknown. 



Only seven specimens of this common snake, taken March-April, 1907, at 

 Buitenzorg, were preserved. Bryant, however, saved a large series, — fourteen 

 from Buitenzorg, three from Depok, and one from Daroe in Bantam. All are 

 typical examples; in every case the eye is smaller in diameter than the distance 

 to the nostril. Two postoculars and a loreal are present in all. 



Ranges from Bengal to Cochin China, throughout the Malay Archipelago. 

 The fact that in the British museum there is an example from Mysol would make 

 it seem very probable that the last connection between Papuasia and the Moluc- 

 cas lay there, as noted in the chapter on geographical distribution. 



Dendrophis formosus Boie. 

 BoiE, Isis, 1827, p. 542. Boijlenger, Cat. snakes Brit, mus., 1894, 2, p. 84-85. 



Type locality: — Schlegel says, " Le Profe.sseur Reinwardt a fait la decouverte 

 de cette espece a I'lle de Java, oii elle est assez rare." 



Boulenger gives its distribution as "Mountains of the Malay Peninsula, 

 Borneo, Java." B>Tant, however, found it sparingly about Buitenzorg, where 

 he took six examples. The elevation of this locality is about 900 feet, while 

 the species is not found in his collections from several Mountain Stations. 



