1921.] F. Wall ; Deudropliis and Dciidrcia pin's. 157 



divided. Subcaudals, 117 to 124. Loreal, rather shorter than 

 the nasals, its depth half to less than half its length. Temporals, 

 2+2 + 2. Supralabials 9, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th touching the loreal, 

 the 4th, 5th and 6th touching the eye. 



Deutilion. — Ma.xillary 29 ?, coryphodont. I have no skull. 



Distribution. — Western Ghats, south of the Gca Gap; Travan- 

 core and Tinnevelly (Biit. Mus.) ; Nilgiris (Kollengode, Bombay 

 colln.); Wynad (Brit. Mus.). 



Dendrophis proarchus Wall. 

 Wall's Dendrophis (or Bronze Back). 



Dendropiiis fiictus. Sclater, List Sn. Ind. Miis.. 1S91, p. 34 (part) (.\os. 



3998,4046, 6909, 76811. 7713, 7717. Ii;,68) ; W;ill. Bnmb. .\'.H.J.. 1907 



p. 189. 

 D. pfoai'chos. \N'all, Bomb. A'.H.J., 1910, pp. 827 and 8q8. 



Colour. — Very like variety <y/)jc«s of pictus. Dorsally bronze, 

 the bases and the overlapped edges of the scales black, the latter 

 enclosing turquoise-blue patches. No buff anterior vertebral stripe. 

 Blackish, equidistant, anterior, lateral bars more or less distinct. 

 A conspicuous buff flank stripe ending at the vent with a thick 

 black line below on the edges of the ventrals and ultimate row. 

 A more or less distinct finer black line above on the upper half of 

 the penultimate row. No caudal stripes. Ventrally greenish-grey 

 or yellowish, lighter anteriorly. Head with no interparietal buff" 

 spot. The lore is dusky, not black, and none of the anterior 

 supralabials have black borders. A well-defined, black, postocular 

 stripe occupying the full depth of the temporal region. 



There is a melanotic specimen in the Bombay collection from 

 Tura, Garo Hills. This is deep lilackish dorsally, with a narrow 

 ill-detined lightish flank stripe posteriorly. Ventrally uniform 

 bluish-clay coloured, merging to bufif on throat and chin. Head 

 blackish except the ^th and 6th supralabials which are buff. This 

 strikingly resembles the melanotic specimens of pictus and tristis 

 herein referred to 



Food. — I have found a gecko in one, and a tree-frog in another. 



Breeding. ^1 have found seven eggs in two gravid females and 

 eight in another. The eggs are very elongate as in other species 

 of this genus. In one they measured 41X12 mm. (ifoX^ an 

 inch). Specimens in which the eggs appeared fit for discharge 

 were killed in 'Slay and June in Assam The smallest prospective 

 dam measured 1137 mm. (3 feet 8|- inches). 



Length. — My largest specimen measured 1296 mm. (4 feet 3 

 inches). 



Lcpidosi>. — The costals are in 15 rows to behind midbody, 

 and reduce to 9 before the vent. Ventrals, 18 1 to 196. Anal 

 entire. Subcaudals, 141 to 157. The loreal is as long as the 

 nasals, and its depth about two-fifths its length. Temporals, nor- 

 mally 2 + 2 + 2. Supralabials 9, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th touching 

 the loreal, the 4th, 5th and 6th the eye. 



