LYCODOX. 



J3] 



Genus LYCODON. 

 Boie, Isis, 1827, p. 521. 



Maxillary bent inwards ante- 

 riorly in the adult, the 3 to 6 

 anterior teeth increasing in size, 

 fang-like, and separated by a 

 '' I I X y-< y toothless interspace from the 



\ rest, 7 to 15 in number, which 



-^^^ A increase in size posteriorly; ante- 



>--^'->^^ ^ ^A rior mandibular teeth longest, 



fang-like. Head not or but 

 slightly distinct from neck, more 

 or less strongly depressed ; eye 

 small or moderate, witli vertically 

 elliptic pupil. Body more or less 

 elongate, cylindrical or slightly 

 compressed ; scales smooth or 

 feebly keeled, in 17 (or 19) rows, 

 with apical pits. Tail moderate ; 

 ''Vi ^-^'^Xinr subt^audals single or double. 



Southern Asia. 



Pive species are known to in- 

 Fig. 44.— Head and dentition of habit the Malay Peninsula. 



Lycodoii auliciis. , These snakes are nocturnal and 



oviparous. 



Synopsis of the Species. 



I. A prseocular, separating- the eye from the 



prse frontal. 



A. Scales smooth. 



Loreal present, extensively in contact with the 



internasal ; anal divided L. aulicus, p. 131. 



Loreal present, not or but shghtly in contact with 



the internasal ; anal divided L. laocnsis, p. 182. 



Loreal absent, pra^frontal in contact with the 



labials ; anal entire L. effrenis, p. 132. 



B. Scales very feebly keeled L. butler i, p. 133. 



II. No prseocular ; praefrontal entering the 



eye ; scales feebly or faintly keeled L. subcinctus, p. 133. 



136, Lycodon aulicus. 



Coluber aulicus, Linn. Sj^st. Xat. i, p. 381 (1766). 



Lycodon aulicus, Boie, Isis, 1827, p. ool ; Cantor, Journ. Asiat. Soc. 



Bengal, xvi, p. 915 (1847) ; Giinth. Kept. Brit. Ind. p. 199 (1864) ; 



Bouleng. Faun. Brit. Ind., Kept. p. 294 (1890); id. Cat. Su. i, 



p. 352 (1893) ; S. Flower, P. Z. S. 1899, p. 664 ; Wall, Journ. 



Nat. Hist. Soc. Bombay, xix, p. 87, pi. ix (1909). 



Snout much depressed, spatulate in the adult. Eostral much 



