364 



BTTLLETTN 58, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



DINODON RUFOZONATUM WALLI/' new subspecies. 



1895. Dinodon rufozonatus Boettger, Olt't'iibach. Ver. Naturk. 33-3G Ber., 

 1895, p. 108 (Miyakoshima group, Riu Kins) (not of Cantor); Kat. Schl. 

 Mus. Senckenbcrg. , 1898, p. 38 (part: Miyakoshima) .^ — Wall, Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. London, 1903, pp. 89, 100 (part: Japan, Loo Choos; 1905, II, 

 p. 515 (Miyako; Ishigaki; Iriomote). 



Diagnosis. — Similar to typical Dinodon rufozonatum., but witli 

 fewer ventrals, viz, 178-195 (average 189), and fewer dark cross-bars 

 on body and tail, viz, 22 to 32 on body and 15 to 20 on tail, or to- 

 gether on both, 41 to 52 (average 45); a pale inverted V on the nape; 

 underside more or less mottled with brown (figs. 307-309) . 



Type. — ^U.S.N.M. No. 34007; Ishigaki shima, Yaeyama grou}); June, 

 1899; Owston collection. 



Habitat. — Riu Kiu Archipelago. 



Remarks. — While in Frankfort on the Main in 1898 Doctor Boettger 

 had the great kindness to show me the specimens of this species in the 



307 308 



Figs. 307-309.— Dinodon RUFOZONATUM WALLi. 2 X nat. size. 307, top of head; 308, side of head; 



309, UNDERSIDE OF HEAD. No. 11, SCI. COLL. TOKYO. 



Senckenberg Museum. Unfortunately, I did not have time to ex- 

 amine them in detail, but I made the note that the Formosa specimen 

 appeared to have about t^^dce as many dorsal spots (56 according to 

 Boettger) as those from the Riu Kius. This observation I have had 

 an opportunity to test on only eight additional specimens, but in these 

 I find a similar proportion inasmuch as in five specimens from the 

 southern Riu Kius,'' the dorsal spots are only 32, 29, 29, 25, and 26, 

 respectiveh", while in two specimens from Korea and one from north- 

 ern China, Tientsin, or Peking, the numbers are 75, 58, and 50. "^ 



Doctor Wall, who examined a large number of Chinese specimens 

 and four from Ishigaki shima (three of which are the ones now in the 



a Named for Capt. F. Wall, of the Indian Medical Service, author of a Prodromus 

 of the snakes hitherto recorded from China, Japan, and the Loo Choo Islands, as well 

 as several papers on Indian snakes. 



& Science College Museum, Nos. 11, 12, and U.S.N.M. Nos. 34006-8. 



c For further color distinctions, see remarks under Variation, p. 365. 



