HERPETOLOGY OF JAPAN. 267 



from tip of snout, nearly equaling the interparietal suture; parietals 

 as long as frontal and prefrontals together, much longer than distance 

 from eye to tip of snout; nostril lateral, between two subequal 

 nasals; loreal somewhat longer than high, its upper edge much 

 shorter than the lower; one preocular, Avadely separated from frontal; 

 three postoculars; temporals 1 + 2 (normal) on right side, the two of 

 the second row being fused on the left side; 7 supralabials, third and 

 fourth entering eye, sixth largest (normal), on right side, 8 on left 

 side, an additional labial being interjDolated in front of the eye; 4 

 lower labials in contact with anterior chin-shields, which are shorter 

 than the posterior; 19 rows of scales, outer row smooth, the others 

 distinctly keeled, with obscure apical pits best observable on the 

 lateral scales; 146 ventrals; anal divided; 73 pairs of subcaudals. 

 Color (in alcohol) uniform smoke-gray above, top of head darker, 

 also darker along the middle of the back; upper lip whitish, the labi- 

 als posteriorly edged with blackish ; a black postocular band descend- 



240 



Figs. 239-241.— Natrix vibakari. 2 X nat. size. 239, top of head; 240, side of head; (3§ X NAT. 



SIZE). 241, ROSTRAL FROM FRONT. NO. 23335, U.S. N.M. 



ing on the upper half of the penultimate supralabial and crossing 

 obliquely the suture between it and the last supralabial to the angle 

 of the mouth, cutting off the latter labial from the others and associa- 

 ting it with a whitish postoral band which curves slightly upward 

 from it toward the nape without crossing it; a few blackish spots 

 along the edges of the postoral band; on the middle line of the nape, 

 from the parietal suture a short distance backward a narrow whitish 

 dark-edged line ; two pale dots on the parietals near the middle of the 

 interparietal suture; underside imiform whitish, with a series of 

 small dusky spots — or rather, dashes — one near the outer end of each 

 ventral and subcaudal. 



Din tensions. 



tnm. 



Total length 426 



Snout to vent 308 



Vent to tip of tail 1 18 



This is a small snake, which probably seldom exceeds 600 mm. m 

 total length. 



