138 COLTJBRID.^. 



pra)oculai', not touching the frontal, with a small subocalar below 

 it ; 2 postoculars; temporals 2 + 2 ; S upper labials, fourth and 

 fifth entering the eye; 5 lower labials in contact with the anterior 

 chin-shields, which are shorter than the posterior. Scales in 17 

 rows, more or less distinctly keeled on the posterior part of the 

 back. Ventrals 187-208 ; anal divided ; subcaudals 95-140. 

 Light yellowish brown to olive-brown above, frequently with 

 more or less distinct black cross-bands on the posterior part of the 

 body and on the tail ; young usually with light cross-bands on the 

 front half of the body ; labial shields yellow, edged with black ; 

 pale yellow beneath, the posterior ventral and subcaudal shields 

 often edged with black. 



Total length 2280 millim. ; tail 550. 



From Transcaspia and Afghanistan through India and Ceylon 

 to Southern China and the Malay Peninsula. 



This Rat Snake is less generally distributed than the preceding 

 species. It is fierce when newly caught, but may become very 

 tame in captivity. When angry it utters a curious sound, audible 

 some yards off, described by Capt. Flower as " roaring," or some- 

 thing like the deep growling of a big dog. Capt. Flower adds 

 that it also rears up its head like a cobra and dilates its neck in 

 such a way that the ventral shields are thrust out and become 

 acutely keeled, whilst the skin on the sides of the neck is widely 

 stretched. This snake is said to grow to 11 feet 9 inches. It 

 lays 8 to 16 eggs. 



146. Zamenis fasciolatus. 



Coluber fasciolatus, Shaw, Zool. iii, p. ,028 (1802) ; Cantor, Journ. 



Asiat! Soc. Bengal, xvi, p. 919 (1847). 

 Zamenis fasciolatus, Giinth. Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 254, pi. xxi, fig. F 



(1864) ; Bouleng. Fauu. Brit. Ind., Rept. p. 327 (1890) ; id. Cat. 



Sn.i, p. 404 (1898). 



Snout curved and projecting ; eye moderate. Eostral large, 

 broader than deep, the portion visible from above more than halt 

 ita distance from the frontal; internasals as long as the prae- 

 frontals ; frontal 1^ to 1| times as long as broad, nearly as long 

 as its distance from the end of the snout, or as the pai'ietals ; a 

 single loreal ; one pra30cular, in contact with the frontal, usually 

 with a small subocular below it ; 2 or 3 postoculars ; temporals 

 2 + 2 or 24-3; 8 upper labials, fourth and fifth entering the 

 eye; 4 or 5 lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields, 

 which are about the t-ame length as the posterior. Scales in 21 

 or 23 rows, smooth. Ventrals 197-225 ; anal divided ; sub- 

 caudals 73-92. Yellowish or brownish olive above, with narrow 

 white, brown, and black variegated cross-bands on the anterior 

 half of the body ; these bands may entirely disappear in the 

 adult ; lower parts uniform yellowish. 



Total length 1060 millim."; tail 220. 



