TROPIDONOTUS. 



123 



Usually found in or near the water, and feeding on Batrachians 

 and Fishes. The Old-World species appear to be all oviparous, 

 laying as a rule 20 to 30 eggs with white, parchment-like shell. 



Seven species have been found in the Malay Peninsula. 



Si/H02)sis of the Species. 



1. Posterior maxillary teeth not abruptl_y 

 enlarged. 



Intenmsals much narrowed iu front; nostrils 

 directed upwards ; 1 or 2 labials entering 

 the eye ; 2 superposed anterior temporals T. jriscator, p. 123. 



Interuasals broadly truncate in front; nostrils 

 lateral, between two nasals ; 3 labials enter- 

 ing the eye ; 2 superposed anterior 

 temporals T. trianyuliyerus, p. 125. 



Internasals broadly truncate in tront; nostrils 

 lateral, in a single nasal; 2 labials entering 

 the eye ; a single anterior temporal 7'. inas, p. 125. 



II. 2 or 3 last maxillary teeth abruptly 

 enlarged ; 3 labials entering the eye. 



A. Eye moderate or large ; subcaudals 

 50-93. 



Internasals much narrowed in front, nearly as 



long as the prsefroutals ; a single anterior 



temporal ; scales of outer row smooth. ... T. stolatus, p. 125. 

 Internasals broadly truncate in front, shorter 



than the prtefrontals ; 2 superposed 



anterior temporals ; scales of outer row 



smooth T. suhminiatus, p. 126. 



Internasals bmadly trunciite in front, as long- 

 as the prjefroutals ; 2 superposed anterior 



temporals ; all the scales strongly keeled. . T. clinjsargus, j). 127. 

 B. Eye very large ; subcaudals 95-113 ; 



all the scales strongly keeled T. maculatus, p. 128. 



12t;. Tropidonotus piscator. 



Hi/drus piscator, Schneid. Hist. Amph. i, p. 247 (1799). 

 Tropidonotus 2nscr/tor, Boie, Isis, 1827, p. 535 ; Eouleng.Faun. Brit. 



Ind., Rppt. p. 349 (1890) ; id. Cat. Sn. i, p. 230 (1893) ; S. Flower, 



P. Z. S. 1899, p. 6()0 ; Wall,.Tourn. Nat. Hist. Soc. Bombay, xvii, 



p. 857, pi. iv (1907). 

 Iropidonotus quineunciatus, Schleg. Phys. Serp. ii, p. 307, pi. xii, 



figs. 4 & 5 (1837) ; Glinth. Kept, Brit. Ind. p. 2(i0 (1864). 

 Tropidonotus umbratus, Schleg. t. c. p. 309 ; Cantor, Journ. Asiat. 



Soc. Bengal, xvi, p. 936 (1847). 



Eye rather small ; nostrils turned upwards. Internasals much 

 narrowed anteriorly, subtriangular, as long as the prajfrontals ; 

 frontal once and two thirds to twice as long as broad, longer than 

 its distance from the end of the snout, as long as or a little 

 shorter than the parietals ; loreal nearly as long as deej) ; 1 pras- 



