HERPETOLOGY OF JAPAN. 347 



eqiialiiicr its distance from nostril; two postoculars; 2 + 2 temporals; 

 eij^ht siipralabials, seventh and eighth largest, fourth and fifth entering 

 eye, fifth narrow and high, in contact with lower postocular and lower 

 anterior temporal; five lower labials in contact with anterior chin- 

 shields which are shorter than the posterior; one pair of postgeneials; 

 17 rows of scales, the middle three of which are feebly keeled, the 

 others quite smooth; 190 ventrals; anal divided; 111 pairs of sub- 

 caudals. Color (in alcohol) tawny with irregular narrow cross lines of 

 black which is confined to the edges and tips of the scales; head above 

 uniform, sides paler, labials and temporals edged behind with brown- 

 ish black; underside whitish, the ventrals marked with a narrow 

 brownish line at the posterior margin, becoming darker and broader 

 behind, and in addition every fifth ventral has on each side a sharply 

 defined, narrow dark brown bar along the base or anterior margin. 



Di7))ensions. 



mm. 



Total length 1, 665 



Snout to vent 1, 250 



Vent to tip of tail 415 



The young are said to have usually light cross bands on the front 

 half of the body. 



Variation. — Ventrals are recorded as varying between 187 and 208, 

 subcaudals between 95 and 140. The number of loreals is somewhat 

 variable, and Doctor Wall records one specimen with nine supralabials 

 on one side, fifth and sixth touching the eye. 



This species grows to be more than 2 meters long. 



Hahitat. — The rat-snake has a wide distribution over the entire 

 southern continental Asia. In the Himalayas it is found at an alti- 

 tude of over 5,000 feet. In southeastern China it occurs from Hainan 

 to Chusan. Swinhoe collected two specimens in Formosa, where, 

 according to Guenther, the species is not rare. These specimens are 

 in British Museum. A third specimen, from Taiwan fu, South For- 

 mosa, was sent by Mr. Schmacker to the Senckenberg Museum. 



The locality of the specimen in the Genova Museum, upon which Jan 

 based his variety carinata and which is said to have come from Japan, 

 is undoubtedly erroneous. 



List of specimens of Ptijns vnicosvs. 



a Type of ITallowell's Leplophis trifrenalus. Description, p. 346. flgs. 298-300. 



