48 Records of the Indian Museum. [Voi.. VIII, 



29. Simotes albocinctus (Cantor). 

 Boulenger, Fauna, p. 312. 



Not uncommon in the hills of Assam and Burma. Wall ^ has 

 described, under the name juglandifer, a peculiar variety distin- 

 guished mainly by colouration but now regarded by him as a dis- 

 tinct species. It is from the E. Himalayas and Assam. Speci- 

 mens of the typical form were taken by Capt. de Courcy at Kobo 

 and in the Sirpo valley near Renging. 



30. Oligodon erythrorhachis, Wall. 



Wall, Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist, Sac, xix, p. 923, pi. 



Two specimens from Upper Rotung (alt. ca. 2,000 ft.) taken 

 in December by the 32nd Sikh Pioneers must be referred to this 

 species. Both, however, differ in colouration from the type. The 

 smaller specimen measures 300 mm. in length and is of a brick-red 

 colour with numerous white, black-edged cross-bars on the body 

 and tail. There are faint traces of a dark mid-dorsal line and the 

 head and ventral surface are marked as in Major W^ all's figures. 

 The second specimen is larger, measuring 510 mm., and differs from 

 the smaller one in being of a deep crimson colour and having the 

 cross-bars on the body and tail relatively broader and slate-grey 

 instead of white. 



31. Zamenis mucosus (Linn.). 

 Boulenger, Fauna, p. 324. 



A small specimen of the Common Rat-Snake was taken at 

 Janakmukh by Capt. O'Neill. 



32. Coluber taeniurus (Cope). 



Boulenger, Fauna, p. 333; Fascic. Malay., i, p. 162. 



Two specimens were taken in January at Upper Rotung by 

 *the 32nd Sikh Pioneers while cutting a road. The species has a 

 somewhat curious distribution, ranging from Darjiling into not 

 only south-western but also northern China. In the Malay Penin- 

 sula it is usually found in caves feeding on bats. Cavernicolous 

 individuals are always very pale in colour, but it is by no means 

 certain that this is not due to the direct effect of lack of light on 

 the organism. 



33. Dendrophis gorei, Wall, 



Wall, Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc, xix, p. 829, pi., fig. 



1—3 (1910)- 

 I doubt whether this is more than a local race of D. pidiis 

 peculiar to the north-east corner of Assam and the neighbouring 



1 Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc, xix, pp. 3, 8, and xx, p. 1162, fig. 



