103. ABLABES. 283 



entering the eye ; four lowor labials in contact with the anterior 

 chin-shields, which equal or a little exceed the posterior in length. 

 Scales in 15 rows. Ventrals 178-195; anal divided; subcaudals 

 60-75. Brown above, with a broad dark collar and a double series 

 of transverse dark s])ots on the anterior part of the body ; these 

 markings most distinct in the young ; lower parts uniform 

 yellowish. 



Total length 460 millim. ; tail 110. 



Himalayas from Simla to Darjeeling. 



a. (5 (V. 185 ; C. 63). Sikkim. Messrs. v. Schlagiutweit 



[C.]. (Type.) 

 d. Yg. (V. 184 ; C. GO). Sikkim. Messrs. v. Schlagintweit 



[0.]. (TypeoiA.oivemi.) 

 c-d. S (V. 189; G. 74) & Darjeeling. W.T. Blauford,Esq. [P.]. 



hgr. (V. 178 ; C. 68). 

 «. c? (V. 180; C. 71). Darieeling. T. C. Jerdon, Esq. [P.]. 



/. d (V. 182 ; C. 69) & Darjeeling. 



hgr. (V. 184; C. 75). 

 ff. 2 (V. 195; C. ?). Nepal. B. II. Hodgson, Esq. [P.]. 



9. Ablahes baliodirus. 



Coronella baliodeira, Bote, Isis, 1827, p. 5.39 ; Schleg. Phifs. Scrp. ii. 



p. 64, pi. ii. figs. 9 & 10 (18.37); Cantor, Cat. Mai. Rept. p. 66 



(1847). 

 Ablabes baliodeinis, Bum. ^- Bibr. vii. p. .31.3 (1854) ; Giinth. Cat. 



p. 29 (1858), and Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 224 (1864). 

 Diadophis baliodeinis, Jan, Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. ii. 1863, p. 2C3, 



and Icon. Gen. 15, pi. v. fig. 4 (1866). 

 Ablabes baliodirus, var. cinctus, Fischer, Abh. naturw. Ver. Hamh. 



ix. 1886, p. 8, pi. i. fig. 2. 



Rostral broader than deep, just visible from above ; nasal divided ; 

 eye three fourths the length of the snout ; suture between the 

 internasals shorter than that between the prefrontals ; frontal 

 longer than its distance from the end of the snout, shorter than the 

 parietals ; a small lorcal, as long as deep or deeper than long ; one 

 or two prne- and two postoeulars ; temporals 1 + 2: seven upper 

 labials, third and fourth entering the eye ; four or five lower labials 

 in contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are as long as or 

 shorter tliau the posterior. Scales in 13 rows. Ventrals llS-137 ; 

 anal divided ; subcaudals 58-75. Brown above, usually with small 

 black-edged yellow spots, sometimes with blackish cross bands or 

 two series of large alternating black blotches on the anterior part 

 of the body, or with two light, dark- edged streaks along the body 

 and a third on the na])e ; head sometimes yellowish ; lips yellowish 

 white, with the labial sutures black ; lower parts yellowish or coral- 

 red, the brown of the upper parts usually descending to the sides of 

 the ventrals, each of which may bear a black dot at the end; some- 

 times a black line along the middle of the lower surface of the tail. 



Total length 4l)i) millim.; tail 125. 



.Java, Borneo, Sumatra. I'inang. 



