286 BULLETIN 58, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



of these features is more or less plainly indicated in all these species. 

 The median nuchal light streak described in A\ vibakari is not visible 

 in the specimen of N. pryeri before me, but it is very distinct in the 

 figure accompanying the original description of the species " here- 

 with reproduced (Plate XX, fig. 2); the lateral spots on theventrals 

 are common to all these species, though not by any means confined 

 to them. The white dorso-lateral spots of the young of N. vihakari 

 are very marked in N. craspedogaster and also on the posterior part 

 of N. pryeri. The sudden increase in the size of the posterior maxil- 

 lary teeth of the latter is no real obstacle, for as I have shown above 

 (p. 264) N. vibalcari may with propriety be said also to have suddenly 

 enlarged posterior maxillaries. Moreover, Natrix chrysarga, which 

 all authors agree in referring to the so-called "Amphiesma" group, 

 appears also to belong to the assembly of species here discussed, in 

 spite of the fact that the posterior labials are not quite typically 

 marked, though judging from Jan's figure of his AmpMesma platyceps, 

 the Himalayan specimens at least may come pretty close to the 

 characteristic pattern. 



Habitat. — This species has now been recorded from all the groups 

 of the Riu Kiu chain. The types were from the "Loo Choos," with- 

 out further locality, but both Hoist and Fritze obtained it in Okinawa 

 shima, from which island specimens also are in the National Museum 

 in Tokyo (no. 8) and in Museum Senckenbergianum. The latter also 

 has a specimen from Miyakoshima in the Saki shima group, both 

 obtained through Mr. Schmacker. Finally, a specimen from Nishi- 

 omote shima, also called Iriomote shima, of the same group, is in the 

 Science College Museum, Tokyo. Dr. Wall has recently recorded a 

 specimen from the latter island and three from Amami-o-shima, of 

 the northern group. 



« Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1887, pL xviii, fig. 3. 



