474 BULLETIN 58, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Of 13 specimens eight have 25 scale rows and five have 23. Doctor 

 Wall records one with 24 scale rows. Ventrals vary between 183 and 

 191, subcaudals between 66 and 77. 



The variation in color seems to be less great and consists in the 

 more or less perfect obliteration of the lateral series of spots, and in 

 the greater or less definite outline of the light and dark spots on the 

 underside. 



Remarks hy collector. — Mr. Tashiro has furnished the following note 

 with the larger specimen collected by him on Ishigaki shima : 



''This species is not found on Okinawa shima, but is confined to the 

 Yaej^ama Islands. It is known b}^ the name of 'Habu,' the general 

 name applied to the snakes of this genus, of which there are about 

 five varieties, each with a special name. It lives in crevices in stone- 

 walls, hollow trees, etc. Its habits are more sluggish than the real 

 ' habu ' ( Trimeresurus jiavoviridis) . The natives say that it is less 

 poisonous than the latter, yet I think it is by no means inferior in this 

 respect." 



Habitat. — This species is confined to the southern group of the 

 Riu Kills, and seems to be fairly common both on Iriomote shima and 

 on Ishigaki shima. Boettger's types of T. luteus are said to have come 

 from '' Yaeyama auf Mijako shima," a somewhat confusing statement 

 which might have been suspected of meaning "Miyako shima of the 

 Yaeyama group," as formerly at least that island was considered part 

 of the group, though now excluded as a special subgroup, but in the 

 introduction to his paper ° Doctor Boettger says : 



" Aber die Thiere scheinen Icider nicht genau nach den Fundorten getrennt worden 

 zu sein * * * Die Schlangen sollen zum grossten Theil von Yaeyama oder 

 Patchungsan, einer der Miyako shima Inseln, herstammen." 



But Patchungsan is the Chinese name for Ishigaki shima, and Doc- 

 tor Boettger evidently uses Miyako shima as the collective name of 

 the two southern subgroups. It is therefore exceedingly dubious if 

 the types came from Miyako shima proper, and the probability is that 

 they reall}" originate from Ishigaki shima. That the same species 

 occurs on Miyako shima has now been shown by Doctor Wall who 

 records three specimens from that island under the name of LacJiesis 

 mucrosquamatus . 



« Offenbach. Ver. Naturk. 33-36 Ber., 1895, p. 101. 



