322 



BULLETIN 58, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Doctor Boettger reports two specimens in Museiun Senckenberg- 

 ianiim from Formosa, though without recording their scale formula. 

 However, as he is the author of E. schmackeri and also had specimens 

 from Shanghai for comparison the determination can not well be 

 doubted. 



List nf specimens of Elaphe Itrniiirus. 



o Description, p. 320; figs. 273-274. 



t> Strauch, p. 272. 



ELAPHE SCHMACKERI" (Boettger). 



1895. Coluber schmackeri Boettckh, Zool. Anz., XVIII, 8 July, 1895, p. 268 (type- 

 locality, Mijakoshima, Sake shima group, Riu Kiu.; type in Mus. Senck- 

 enberg.; Schmacker, collector); Kat. Schl. Mus. Senckenberg., 1898, p. 

 53.— BouLENGER, Cat. Sn. Brit. Mus., Ill, 1896, p. 627.— Wall, Proc. 

 Zool. See. London, 1903, p. 101 (Loo Ghoos); 1905, II, p. 515 (Ishigaki). 



Notwithstanding the fact that its original describer, Doctor Boett- 

 ger, compares this form with E. moellendorffii, I can only regard it 

 as an offshoot of E. tseniurus. In fact I have hesitated long whether 

 it would not be most consistent to call it Elaphe tseniurus schmackeri, 

 as the scale formulas plainly intergrade. However, as long as my 

 colleagues are satisfied with the binominal appellation I can have no 

 objection. 



This species, which in Iriomote shima is known as "Ki-tokara" 

 according to Doctor Lenz, is so closely related to Elaphe tseniurus that 

 a separate description seems unnecessary. The coloration is identi- 

 cal. The main differences in scutellation are the greater number of 

 scale rows, ventrals, and subcaudals, and the somewhat feebler carina- 

 tion of the dorsal scales. Thanks to the kindness of Doctor Boettger 

 I have been able to examine his type specimen in Museum Sencken- 

 bergianum and satisfied myself that it has keels, though very faint 

 ones, on the median scales. In the Hamburg Museum specimen I 

 found very weak keels on the median scales while about eight lateral 

 rows on each side are practically smooth, and in the specimen before 



a For the late Mr. B. Schmacker, of Shanghai. 



