SERPENTES. 105 



2, p. 60, pi. 9) has also had specimens with no locahty. In 1837, however, 

 Schlegel (Essai phys. Serp., 2, p. 397, pi. 14, fig. 12-13) tells us that he knows of 

 its occurrence in Ambon, Saparua, and the west coast of Papua. The latter 

 locality was just beginning to be visited by the Dutch. Saparua is rather seldom 

 visited to this day, though for a while of considerable importance as a clove- 

 producing locality; nevertheless it was decidedly secondary to Ambon in com- 

 mercial importance. As it was from Ambon that so many of the early collec- 

 tions of natural history objects were sent to Holland, it seems most probable 

 that the types came from there. 



Gray (Griffith's Animal kingdom, 1831, 9, p. 97) states that the species 

 comes from India; but this statement is untrustworthy. 



As we know it now, this species has a wide range over Papuasia. It has 

 been recorded from the following, and doubtless other, localities : — Dutch 

 Papua, Mansinam, Doreh, Sorong, Andai, Ansus, J'obi Island; Korido, Wiak 

 Island; also Batanta, Salawati, and Mysol Islands; it is also found about 

 Huon Gulf in southeastern Papua. Among the Moluccas it has been taken in 

 Ambon, Ceram, Timor-Laut, Ternate, and Halniahera. Among the Solomon 

 groups on the following islands: — Faro, Shortland, Treasury, Florida, San 

 Cristoval, Ugi, and Santa Anna. It occurs on Normenby and Rossel Islands 

 among the Louisiades, and also in the Pelew group, this latter being the type 

 locality for the synonym E. superciliaris (Gunther, Ann. mag. nat. hist., 1863, 

 ser. 3, 7, p. 360, pi. 6, fig. 2). 



The specimens which have been examined here are from Ceram Island and 

 Djamna Island in Papua, and were taken during 1906-1907. Two specimens 

 from the latter very small islet are extreme examples of the color-phases which 

 Boulenger has designated A and C. The squamation of all these specimens is 

 included in the range of variation which Boulenger has shown to exist. It may 

 be added that Mehely (Termes. fiizetek, 1895, 18, p. 132) notes that a specimen 

 from Astrolabe Bay falls under Boulenger's group B. Boettger (Berl. Offenb. 

 ver., 1892, p. 152) has also studied specimens from southeastern Papua. 



Cylindrophis rufus (Laurenti). 



Laubenti, Syn. Rept., 1768, p. 71. "Anguis ruffa" (sic). Boulenger, Cat. snakes Brit, mus., 1893, 

 1, p. 135-136. 



Type locality: — "Surinam"; in the Museum Gronovianum. 



No geographical races seem to occur in the rather wide range of this species. 

 Specimens from Java may have their scales in either 19 or 21 rows, and the range 

 of their ventral and subcaudal scale-counts is the same as that of specimens from 



