348 BULLETIN 58, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



PTYAS KORROSa (Schlegel). 



1837. Coluber knrros Schlegel, Phys. Serp., II, p. 139 (type-locality, Java; types 

 in Leiden Mus.; Reinwardt, collector); Abbild. Amph., 1839, p. 99, pi. 

 xxvii; pi. XXVIII, figs. 1-6. — Coryphodon korros Jan, Icon. Ophid., 11 vr. 

 24, 1867, pi. IV, fig. 2 (Oude, India). — Plyas konos Cope, Proc. Phila. 

 Acad., 1860, p. 563 (Siam). — Steindachner, Novara Exped., Zool., I, 

 Rept., 1867, p. 65 (Amoy). — Zamenis korros Boulenger, Fauna Brit. 

 India, Rept., 1890, p. 324; ('at. Sn. Brit. Mus., I, 1893, p. 384 (Himalayas 

 to Southern ("hina, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Java). — Wall, Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. London, 1903, p. 90 (Hongkong; Formosa). 



1837. Coluber cancellatus Oppel in Schlegel's Phys. Serp., II, p. 139 (specimen 

 label in Paris Museum). 



Descriptioii.-'Achdt: U.S.N.M. No. 26233; Trong, Lower Siam, 

 Malay Peninsula; Dr. W. L. Abbott, collector. Rostral slightly 

 broader than high, visible to a considerable extent from above; inter- 

 nasals slightly broader than long, smaller than jirefrontals, which do 

 not quite touch the supraoculars; frontal longer than its distance 

 from rostral, and longer than the interparietal suture, much broader 

 in front than l^ehind, the lateral outline quite concave; supraoculars 

 narrower than frontal at its narrowest point; parietals broad and 

 truncate behind, their length equaling the distance of the frontal from 

 tip of snout; nostril large, vertically elliptic, between two nasals, the 

 anterior of which is slightly larger; two loreals, the anterior largest, 

 as high as long, in contact with preocular above the posterior loreal, 

 which is rather small; one preocular, barely in touch with frontal; 

 one subpreocular; eye large, its diameter equaling its distance from 

 center of nostril ; two postoculars ; 2 + 2 temporals ; eight supra- 

 labials, seventh largest, fourth and fifth entering eye, fifth not in 

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

 shields, which are shorter than the posterior; 15 rows of smooth 

 scales; 161 ventrals; anal divided; 140 pairs of subcaudals. Color 

 (i^ alcohol) above anteriorly olive, each scale with a faint submar- 

 ginal dusky line, on the posterior half of the body becoming gradually 

 tawny olive, the dark lines becoming marginal and black; no distinct 

 marks on head; sides of snout and six anterior supralabials pinkish 

 buff; whole underside uniformly whitish suffused with pinkish buff. 



Dimensions. — The specimen described is a skin in alcohol, the total 

 length measuring about 1,210 mm. 



Boulenger measures one specimen in British Museum as follows: 

 Total length, 1,500 mm.; tail, 600 mm. 



The young are said to have transverse series of pearl-colored spots 

 forming cross bands. 



Variation. — The number of loreals is commonly two or three, but 

 Doctor Wall reports one Chinese specimen having only one loreal on 



o-Korros, according to Schlegel himself, is the Javanese name for another snake 

 'Elaphe nielanurns), and was wrongly applied by him to the present species. 



