156 Records ui the Indian Museum. [Vol. XXII, 



The loreal shield is black. The postocular black stripe is shallow 

 and ill-defined above, and runs along the lower temporals, instead 

 of occupying the whole depth of the temporal region. 



Length. — The largest measurement in m}- notes is loio mm. 

 (3 feet 3J inches). 



Food. — I have taken a terrestrial frog from the stomach of 

 one. 



Breeding. — Two gravid females contained respectively four 

 and eight eggs. These in one instance were remarkably elongate, 

 measuring 38 x9 mm. (ijxf of an inch). The smallest example 

 was lOio mm. (3 feet 3f inches). No dates were on record in 

 either case. 



Lcpidosis. — As in typicus, except that the loreal is as long as 

 the nasals, and its depth one-third . or less than one-third its length. 

 Usually only the 5th and 6th supralabials touch the eye. Ventrals, 

 182 to 194. Subcaudals, 126 to 148. 



Dentition. — From three skulls in my collection. Maxillary, 21 

 to 23, coryphodont. Palatine, 13 to 14. Pterygoid, 26 to 28. 

 Mandibular, 23 to 25. 



Distribution. — This appears to be quite peculiar to the Anda- 

 mans. I have examined at least 25 specimens. 



Note. — I have seen one melanotic specimen (No. 16396, Ind. 

 Mus.). This is uniform bluish-black doisally, a still deeper bluish- 

 black replacing the black of normal specimens, i.e. on the lore, 

 the postocular stripe, the oblique lateral anterior bars, and the 

 edges of the scales. Ventrally it is uniform bluish-black merging 

 to yellow on the throat and chin. 



I acquired an erj^thritic example from the Indian Museum, 

 No. 14498 from the Andamans. This was cigar-brown. The lore, 

 postocular stripe, oblique lateral anterior bars, and the edges of 

 the scales, and the posterior two-fifths of the vertebrals darker 

 brown. The skull agrees in its dentition with the normal blue- 

 green specimens, and is included among the three skulls already 

 referred to. 



Dciidrophis grandoculis Boulenger. 



Beddome's Dendrophis (or Bronze Back). 



D. grandoculis, Boulenger, Cat.. Vol. II, 1893, p. 84; Ferguson, Bomb. 

 N.H.J., 1895, p 72 : Sarasin, Zool. Jahr., Jena, 19x0, p. 138. 



Colour. — Dorsally brown (chocolate in a juvenile specimen 330 

 mm. in length). A series of lighter, oblique, lateral stripes forming 

 saggitate marks with those of the opposite side, the points directed 

 forwards. No hght anterior vertebral stripe. No light flank stripe, 

 and no dark flank lines. Ventrally light brown, the shade deepening 

 ])Osteriorly and merging to buff on the throat and chin. Three more 

 or less distinct caudal stripes, the median along the middle of the 

 subcaudals. Head brown. No light interparietal spot. No an- 

 terior supralabials with dark borders. No dark postocular stripe. 



Lepidosis. — The scales are in 15 rows to behind midbody, 

 reducing to 11 or 9 before the vent. Ventrals, 167 to 188. Anal, 



