372 



BULLETIN 58, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



221 to 223, laterally with a distinct but not sharp angle; anal single; 

 103 pairs of siibcandals, followed by a horny tip. Head to the mid- 

 dle of the frontal deep black, thence to the third scale row on the 

 nape gray in the old specimen, pure wliite in the quite young one; 

 ground color above reddish gray; numerous (47 to the anus in the 

 old, 36 in the young) deep brown, light-edged crossbands descending 

 on the sides almost to the ventral surface, the spots as in 0. oHentalis, 

 cut on the posterior two-thirds of the body by a light longitudinal 

 line on the fourth scale row, so that the portions thus cut off form a 

 separate row of spots; alternating with these the upturned portion 

 of many ventrals have a small brown spot, thus forming another 

 series of spots on each side; the tail above also has a series of dark 

 brown transverse spots, which in the young specimen extend to the 

 ventrals, forming (18) complete rings; the brown dorsal spots grad- 

 ually diminish in width posteriorly, the first one on the nape extend- 

 ing over 17 scales, while those following become gradually shorter, 

 until on the second third of the body the light interspaces exceed 

 them in width (especially in the young specimen) ; underside of head 

 and body yellowish white, the tail of the old specimen grayish brow^n, 

 of the young divided by complete dark rings. 



Dimensions. — Young specimen: Total length, 250 mm. ; tail, 60 mm. 



Hahitzt. — The distribution of the species has been given above 

 under the preliminary remarks. 



The subspecies, D. ruhstrati, as here understood, is confined to the 

 island of Formosa, where it has been collected by Mr. R. Swinhoe, 

 and later by Mr. Ruhstraht, the specimens brought home by the 

 former being in British Museum, while those by the latter are in 

 the natural history museum in Oldenburg. 



List of specimens of Dinodon nihstrali. 



oCotypes; Fischer, p. 16. 



b Boulenger, Cat. i, p. 363. 



DINODON ORIENTALErt (Hilgendorf ). 

 SHIROMADARA (Doctor IJIMA, In Letter). 



1880. Ophites orientalis Hilgendorf, Sitz. Ber. Ges. Naturf. Fr., Berlin, 1880, p. 

 115, pi.—, figs. 1-5 (type-locality, Tokyo; type, Berlin Mus. No. 9419; 

 Hilgendorf, collector). 



o Signifying eastern. 



