404 BULLETIN 58, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



his reference to the plate in Museum Adolphi Frederici, wliich is said to 

 represent the other specimen. 



Wliether the above synonymy inchides one or more distinguishable 

 forms may perhaps yet be open to question; at least I have not been 

 able to fully make up my mind from our material which is entirely too 

 insufficient, however. . As far as it goes it seems to indicate two color 

 forms. At least our specimens can be divided according to the follow- 

 •ing concurrent color characters, thus : 



o^ Light horseshoe-shaped mark on top of head bent down behind the eye, reaching 

 the lip; none, or one, light ring on neck incomplete below; light rings on belly 



4-5 ventrals wide L. laticaudata ( Nos. 8994, Java; 29448, Nicobars). 



a^ Light horseshoe-shaped mark not bent down l)ehind the eye; usually two light 

 rings on neck incomplete below; light rings on belly 1-3 ventrals wide. 



L. laticaudata affinis (Nos. 30761, Pulo Mansular, W. Sumatra; 7381, Riu 

 Kius,; 2i399, China Seas; 32669, Formosa; 33937-41, Riu Kius). 



It should be noted that our eastern specimens belong to L. affinis, 

 and it would be interesting to know to what extent the characters 

 mentioned above hold good in a large series. In this connection it 

 niiy be stated that the character of the incomplete light rings on the 

 neck below is the least constant, as might be expected. It holds in 

 seven of our nine specimens of L. affinis, but two of the Riu Kiu 

 specimens (Nos. 33937 and 33939) have only one incomplete ring. 



Since the above was written I have examined two specimens from 

 Formosa in the Christiania Museum (No. 832) wliich in the main bear 

 out the above. 



Description (figs. S2S-330).— Adult male; U.S.N.M. No. 32669; For- 

 mosa; 1894; Mr. Navara, collector. Rostral undivided, higher than 

 broad, just visible from above; internasals broader than lojig, nearly 

 triangular, their suture with rostral very short ; prefrontals in contact 

 throughout, anteriorly very broad with an acute outer angle descend- 

 ing on side of face between nasal and preocular without quite reaching 

 the second su})ralabial, broadly in contact behind with supraocular; 

 frontal long, pointed behind, much longer than distance from tip of 

 snout; as long as parietals, broader than supraoculars; parietals 

 short, not longer than frontal, the suture between them shorter than 

 distance between frontal and rostral; nostril in the posterior half of 

 an undivided nasal which is three times as long as high, slightly lower 

 in front and narrowly in contact with preocular beneath the pre- 

 frontal; one preocular; eye small, its diameter less than its distance 

 from edge of lip; 2 postoculars; temporals 1+2, slightl}^ larger than 

 the adjoining labials; 7 supralabials, first much wider above than 

 below, third and fourth entering eye; mental very small, smaller 

 than first lower labials; 7 lower labials, the last foiu- exceedingly nar- 

 row, three anterior only in contact with anterior chin-shields which 

 are somewhat smaller than the posterior, the latter broadly in contact; 

 19 rows of smooth scales without apical jnts; 243 ventrals; anal 



