154 Records of the Indian Museum. [Vol. Ill, 



For the third Beddome's name nuchalis should be retained. 



For the fourth I propose andamanensis since all the six known 

 specimens come from this insular group. 



The last-named form, aiidamanensis , has perplexed more than 

 one authorit3\ Stoliczka (/. .4. S. Bengal ,xxxi-s., p. 198) referred 

 to four specimens in the Indian Museum from the Andamans which 

 he identified as hexagonotus (Bl3^th). These are the first four 

 specimens in the table above and the identical ones referred later 

 by Sclater to fusca.^ I have examined these, and two others in 

 the Indian ]\Iuseum acquired since from Mr. C. G. Rogers from the 

 Andamans. The last two were sent by Dr. Annandale to the 

 British Museum, where they were pronounced by Mr. Boulenger to 

 be cevloiiensis. These I examined two years ago on their return 

 from London, and disagreed with Mr, Boulenger's opinion. I have 

 recently re-examined them beside the other four specimens, with 

 which they completely agree. The recognition of this form as a 

 distinct species removes the Andamans from the sphere of distri- 

 bution of ceylonensis (Annandale, /. .4. 5. Bengal^ 1905, P- 176). 



All of these forms seem to me to agree in the lepidosis of the 

 head, and have the vertebral row of scales about as broad as long 

 at midbody. They are all coloured much alike, and seem to attain 

 a similar growth. 



Dipsadomorphus hexagonotus , Stoliczka {7ion Blyth). 



I have examined the t3'pe specimen of Blyth's hexagonotus 

 {Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. xxiv, p. 360). This is No. 8048 of 

 Sclater's list from Cherrapunji, Khasi Hills, Assam, referred by 

 him to fusca (an Australian species !). The scales are in twenty- 

 one rows, the ventrals 247, and the subcaudals 134 (not 126 as given 

 by Blyth "^). It is now uniform brown in colour. I think there can 

 be no doubt that this is a young cyaneus (Dum. & Bibron). The 

 young of this species are known to be brown in colour (Boulenger, 

 Catalogue, vol. iii, 1896, p. 72). Further, Blyth says of this speci- 

 men that the head is green, and remarks that it probably grows to 

 a large size and may become wholl}' green. 



The next authorit}^ to refer to hexagonotus was Stoliczka 

 {Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. xxxix, p. 198) who refers to five 

 specimens from the Andamans. Four of these I have alreadj' 

 alluded to under ceylonensis and shown to constitute a definite 



1 The fifth specimen referred by Sclater to fusca is in my opinion a yoinig 

 cyaneus : see further remarks on hexagonotus which follow. 



2 I frequently lind that my counts of the ventrals and subcaudals, especially 

 the latter, do not aeiree with tliat of other authors, and I often wonder whether 

 they made use of a lens at this time, and if so. whether the lens permitted freedom 

 of both hands. The subcaudals especially arc very hard to count in small snakes. 

 I invariably use a watchmaker's lens, and begin counting from the tail-tip. In 

 this way the smallest .shields are counted when the eye is fresh to the work, and 

 as it grows tiied mth the strain, the larger shields come into view. I also pass the 

 fingers of one hand along the shields as I count them, thus assisting the eye and 

 relieving strain. 



