224 COLUBRID.fS. 



8. Simotes octolineatus, 



Russell, Ind. Serp. ii. pi. xxxviii. (1801). 



Elaps octolineatus, Schneid. Hist. Amjjh. ii. p. 299 (1801). 



Coluber octolineatus, Shmf, Zool. iii. p. 540 (1802) ; Daud. Ecpt. 



vii. p. 17 (1803). 

 OoroneUa octolineata, Schleg. PJii/s. Serp. ii. p. 77 (1837). 

 Simotes octolineatus, Dum. ^ Bibr. vii. p. 634, pi. Ixxxii. fig. 3 



(1854) ; Gilnth. Cat. p. 24 (1858) ; Jan, Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. ii. 



1863, p. 235, and Icon. Gen. 12, pi. v. fig. 1 (1865) ; Boulenff. Faun. 



Ind., Sept. p. 313 (1890), and A7m. >§• Maff. N. H. (6) ix. 1892, 



p. 74. 

 meyerinkii, Steindachn. Sitzb, Ak. Wien, c. 1891, p. 294. 



Nasal divided ; portion of rostral seen from above a little shorter 

 than its distance from the frontal ; suture between the internasals 

 nearly as long as that between the prsefrontaJs ; frontal longer than 

 its distance from the end of the snout, as long as the parietals ; 

 loreal as long as deep ; praeocular single ; two postoculars ; tem- 

 porals 2 + 2 ; six upper labials, third and fourth entering the eye ; 

 four lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields; posterior 

 chiu-shields about two thirds the length of the anterior. Scales in 

 17 rows. Ventrals obtusely angulate, 156-197 ; anal undivided ; 

 subcaudals 43-61. Yellow with six black longitudinal stripes, or 

 blactish with yellow longitudinal lines, which are much narrower 

 than the interspaces between them ; head yellow, the tvro median 

 dorsal bands meeting on the frontal ; a black crescentic cross band 

 anteriorly, passing through the eyes, and an oblique band on each side 

 from the parietal shield to below the angle of the mouth ; lower 

 surfaces uniform or with a series of black spots on each side of the 

 ventrals, sometimes confluent into a line. 



Total length 680 millim. ; tail 100. 



Java, Borneo, Sooloo Islands, Sumatra, Malay Peninsula ; 

 Anamallay Hills, S. India. 



A. Yellowish above, with six black longitudinal stripes. 



a. Yg. (V. 168 ; C. 54). 

 h. 6 (V. 165; C. 61). 

 c-d. 2 (V. 178, 183; 



C. 54, 51). 

 e. ? (V. 175; C. 54Kt 



hgr. (V. 183 ; C. 54). 

 /. Yg. (V. 168 ; C. 61). 



a. Yg.(V.197;C.61). 

 b-c. 6 (V. 171; C. 59) 

 &yg. (V.171;C.61). 

 d. ? (V. 175 ; C. 53). Borneo. Sir H. Low [C.]. 



C. Markings disappearing in the adult, which is dark brown above, 

 with a somewhat ill-defined light vertebral stripe. (S.mei/erinl-ii, 

 Steind.) 



a. 5 (Y. 158; C. 48). Tawi-Tawi, Sooloo Ids. A. Evprett, Esq. [C.]. 



