HERPETOLOGY OF JAPAN. 351 



the back nearly to the end of the tail, occupying the median dorsal 

 scale row and the adjacent halves of the rows on either side; an indis- 

 tinct cross band at the por^erior edge of the prefrontals, preoculars and 

 postoculars, an indistinct narrow longitudinal band on the temporals, 

 the greater part of the supralabials and the whole underside yellow; 

 on the upper part of the supralabials a black irregularly serrated 

 band which is interrupted on the fifth supralabial and again appears, 

 though narrower, on the posterior portion of the neck; a black spot 

 anteriorly on the lateral angle of each ventral; an indistinct blackish 

 line on the end of the ventrals and that part of the first scale row lying 

 between them, the scales themselves white in the middle so as to form 

 a pale longitudinal line above the black one. 



iJimensions. 



mm. 



Total length 835 



Snout to vent 615 



Vent to tip of tail 220 



Variation. — This species seems to be subject to the usual variations, 

 such as ''preocular separated from or just touching the frontal," 

 "temporals 1 +2, 2 + 2, or 2 + 3." Boulenger says: "Eight (excep- 

 tionally nine) upper labials, fourth and fifth (or fifth and sixth) enter- 

 ing the eye," basing his diagnosis on four specimens, while Doctor 

 Wall, who apparently examined 11 specimens, probably mostly from 

 the Yangtse Valley, says that the normal arrangement is nine, with 

 the fifth and sixth touching the eye, and that only two specimens had 

 eight supralabials. He also mentions one specimen with two loreals, 

 one behind the other, and one with the subpreocular absent on one 

 side; two specimens had four lower labials in contact with anterior 

 chin-shields on both sides. All his specimens had 2 + 2 temporals. 

 With regard to the number of supralabials, it may be added that 

 Doctor Werner in the two females, from Tsingtau, examined l^y him 

 found eight. It is greatly to be regretted that the exact localities of 

 the other specimens recorded have not been given with each individual 

 scale formula. Minimum of ventrals recorded by Doctor Wall is 179; 

 maximum by Doctor Werner is 211; subcaudals both minimum and 

 maximum by Doctor Wall is 84 and 100. 



Hahitat. — This species was originally described as from Mexico, 

 but it has since been discovered that its real habitat is eastern Asia, 

 where it is recorded from Siam, the island of Hainan, the Yangtse 

 Valley, and from northern China, ^longolia, and Korea. A specimen 

 from the latter country is in British Museum. 



