146 Records of the Indian Museum. [Vol. III. 



specimen of this species. I have compared it carefully with other 

 examples of chrysargus , and find it agrees perfectly in every way 

 except as regards the temporals, which are single on both sides. 

 The ventrals and subcaudals are 140 + 76. Anal divided. 



Helicops schistosus, var andersonii , var. nov. 



I have examined three specimens collected by Anderson 

 in Yunnan which he, and subsequently Sclater, referred to Helicops 

 schistosus. 



In most respects extremely like H. schistosus, 1 cannot see 

 how they can be considered as belonging to the typical form of 

 this species in face of the fact that in all three the internasals are 

 divided. A single internasal is stated to be one of the generic charac- 

 ters of Helicops to which all the eleven known species conform, and 

 though I am very familiar with schistosus from Southern India, the 

 United Provinces and Orissa, I have never met with one in which 

 this shield was divided. The Yunnan form should, I think, rank 

 as a variety of H. schistosus, under the title andersonii. I notice 

 that, besides the condition of the internasals, all three specimens 

 agree in having both the ist and the 2nd supralabials touching the 

 nasals, whereas in the typical H. schistosus the ist only does so. 

 The ventrals and subcaudals are 151 + 61 ?, 154+83, 143 + 79 ?. 

 In two the tail is imperfect. 



Dinodon septentrionalis , Giinther. 



Until recently- the Indian Museum contained no specimen of 

 this rare snake identified as such. I found, however, a very fine 

 specimen in a bottle with specimens of Bungarus hungaroides. 

 This is the No. 7741 of Sclater's list. Locality Darjiling. The 

 scales are in 17 rows, vertebrals not enlarged, loreal present, pupil 

 vertical, and ventrals and subcaudals 212 + 58 ? (tail imperfect). 

 This specimen removes any doubt of the Eastern Himalayas as a 

 habitat.' The type specimen collected b}^ Jerdon was recorded 

 dubiously from the Himalayas or Khasi Hills. Within our Indian 

 dominions Boulenger has recorded a specimen from the Karen Hills 

 [Catalogue^ 1896, vol. iii, p. 619), and another from Mogok, Ruby 

 Mines District, Burma {Journ Bom. Nat. Hist. Soc, vol. xvi, 

 p. 235). I have also had a ver}- fine specimen from the Ruby 

 Mines measuring 3 feet 4-|- inches, ventrals 217, subcaudals 82, and 

 another from Jeypore, Assam ( 9 ), ventrals 214, subcaudals 81. 

 The snake is remarkably like the many-banded krait Bungarus 

 multicinctus in life or when recently preserved, the rich black on 

 the dorsum crossed with milky-white bands giving it a strikingly 

 handsome appearance. 



' I have recently had another specimen sent me from Phoobsering, below 

 Darjiling (circa 5,000 feet). 



