HERPETOLOGY OF JAPAN. 



311 



1854. Ablahes sex-lineatus Dumeril and Bibron, Erpet. Gen., VII, Pt. 1, p. 324 

 (type-locality, China; types in Paris Mus.). — Coronella sexlineata Jan, 

 Icon. Ophid., livr. 14, 1865, pi. vi, fig. 2 (China; type). 



1886. Simotes herziBoKTTGF.u, Zool. Anzeig., IX, 1886 p. 519, (type-locality, hills 

 near Shanghai; type in Mus. Senckenberg. ; Herz, collector). 



Descnption. — Adult female; U.S.N.M. No. 21192; Seoul, Korea; 

 October 8, 1883; P. L. Jouy, collector (figs. 269-271). Rostral very 

 much broader than high, just visible from above; internasals small, 

 rerj narrow in front, suture betv/een them considerably shorter than 

 between prefrontals, which are large and in contact with supraocular; 

 frontal slightly longer than its distance from tip of snout, as long as 

 interparietal suture, slightly broader in front than behind, not in 

 contact with preocular; parietals long; nostril small, semicircular, 

 situated a little above the center of the larger semidivided nasal; 

 loreal large, somewhat longer than high; one preocular, not in con- 

 tact with frontal; no subpreocular; two postoculars, upper larger 



269 



270 



Figs. 269-271.— Elaphe rufodorsata. 2 X nat. size. 269, top of head; 270, side of head; 271 



UNDERSIDE OF HEAD. NO. 21192, U.S.N.M. 



than lower; temporals 2 + 3; seven supralabials, third and fourth 

 in contact with eye (on left side eight, fourth and fifth in contact); 

 five lower labials, in contact with anterior chin-shields; posterior chin- 

 shields shorter than anterior; 21 rows of smooth scales; ventrals 177; 

 anal divided; 51 pairs of subcaudals; no ventral lateral keel. Color 

 (in alcohol), above olive gray, with four series of small dark brown 

 spots, the inner two ocellated, the outer solid, which on the posterior 

 half of the body join to form four continuous dark bands, extending 

 to the tip of the tail; top of the head with a very distinct V-shaped 

 mark, angle forward on the frontal and limbs extending far back on 

 the neck, the edges of the mark strongly outlined by blackish brown ; 

 a similarly colored fleur-de-lis-shaped figure on the fronto-parietal 

 suture; a blackish brown angular line on the prefrontals, continuing 

 backward obliquel}" through the eye to angle of mouth and sides of 



