SERPENTES. 113 



In the example from Ajiibon the preocular is present on both sides; in one 

 of those from Ternate it is absent on both sides, being fused with prefrontals; 

 while in another it is present on one side and absent on the other. The color 

 when freshly taken was a beautiful rich brown with plumbeous iridescence, 

 fading on the sides and becoming a rich yellowish cream color on the ventral 

 surface. The Ambon and one of the Ternate specimens have the characteristic 

 dusky midventral stripe under the tail. It is lacking in another specimen from 

 Ternate. A young one is characteristically distinct in coloration. 



This snake is recorded from Java, where according to Schlegel (Essai phys. 

 Serp., 1837, 2, p. 33) it is very rare. Tliis is a definite statement, certainly, 

 but undoubtedly incorrect. The other localities are Timor, Ambon, Halma- 

 hera, Ternate, New Guinea, and Jappen (or Jobi) Island. It is apparently 

 nowhere common. 



There is no available material by which to determine whether B. jobiensis 

 (Meyer) is a valid species or not. According to Boulenger, the fusing of the 

 internasals is not a constant character. Peters and Doria permitted it to stand 

 as a distinct species provisionallj^ or until more material was available. It 

 probably represents a local race at least; this fusion of scales does not appar- 

 ently occur in specimens from other than the Papuan localities. 



Elapoides fuscus Boie. 

 BoiE, Isis, 1827, p. 579. Boulenger, Cat. snakes Brit, mus., 1893, 1, p. 307. 



Type locality: — Java. 



Tliis is a species which seems to be confined to the Javan highlands. Two 

 specimens, var. A of Boulenger, were taken in April, 1907, near Sindanglaia, at 

 about 5,000 feet above sea-level; and there is one from Tjibodas, near by, in 

 the Bryant collection. The native collector who brought in the two snakes said 

 that they were found in ponds. There are several such ponds in ancient craters 

 at high levels. The native did not distinguish these creatures from Enhydris; I 

 imagine their habits are similar. Of the six species in the British museum, 

 three, — all those having definite data, — came from Kediri, Java, at 5,000 ft. 

 elevation. This adds weight to my own observation, and to those of Major 

 Ouwens of Buitenzorg, who very frequently spoke of the great dissimilarity of 

 faunae between the Botanical Garden at Buitenzorg and the Mountain Station, 

 near which these snakes were taken. 



Known only from Java and Sumatra. 



