COLUBER. 



143 



with a small subocular below it; 2 postociilars ; temporals 2 + 2 

 or 2 + 3; usually 9 (sometimes 8) upper labials, fifth and sixth 

 (or fourth and fifth) entering the eye ; 5 or 6 lower labials in 

 contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are as long as or a 

 little longer than the posterior. Scales in 23 or 25 rows, dorsals 

 feebly but distinctly keeled, outer rows smooth. A^eutrals dis- 

 tinctly angulate laterally, 230-305(279-305 in Malay specimens); 

 anal divided, rarely entire ; subcaudals 89-114. Typical form grey- 

 brown or olive above, head and nape uniform ; a black sti'ipe on 

 each side of the head, passing through the eye ; anterior part of 

 back with black transverse lines or network, posterior part with a 

 ])ale vertebral stripe between two broad black ones ; belly yellowish 

 anteriorly, greyish posteriorly ; a black stripe along each side of 

 the posterior part of the belly and along each side of the tail, 

 separated from the upper lateral stripe by a whitish streak. 

 Specimens living in caves (var. ridleyi) are much paler, the neck 

 and back of a pale ochreous colour, without dark transverse lines 

 or network, each scale tipped with isabelline, and the under parts 

 are yellowish white ; along the sides runs a purplish-grey band, 

 becoming darker, or black, towards the tail ; head bluish grey 

 above. 



Total length 2000 millim. ; tail 400. 



Northern China and Eastern Himalayas to Malay Peninsula, 

 Sumatra, and Borneo. In the Malay Peninsula this hand- 

 some snake is found in all limestone caves of any size, living 

 often in total darkness and feeding on bats which it kills by 

 constriction, and harmonising in colour with its surroundings, 

 though it is frequently found lying asleep or gorged on the dark 

 brown guano, when it is extremely conspicuous. Specimens have, 

 however, been found, far away from caves, in Johore, Selangor, 

 and Pahang. 



152. Coluber oxycephalus. 



Boie, Isis, 1827, p. 0.37; Bouleng. Fauu. Brit. Ind., Kept. p. 335 

 (1890) ; id. Cat. Sn. ii, p. 56 (1894) ; S. Flower, P. Z. S. 1899, 

 p. 668 ; Bouleng-. Journ. Fed. Malay States Mus. iii, p. 68 (1908). 



Herpetodn/as oxycephalus, Cantor, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, xvi, 

 p. 927 (1847). 



Oonyosoma oxycephalum, Giinth. Kept. Brit. Ind. p. 294 (1864). 



Malay name, Vlar selenseng. 



Body rather compressed. Snout subacuminate, elongate, 

 obliquely truncate and projecting ; rostral nearly as deep as 

 broad : internasals k to j as long as the praefrontals ; frontal as 

 long as broad, or a little longer, as long as its distance from the 

 rostral or the end of the snout, a little shorter than the parietals ; 

 loreal very elongate ; a large praeocular, in contact with the 

 frontal; 2 postoculars ; temporals 2 + 3; 9 to 11 upper labials, 

 2 (rarely 3) entering the eye ; 6 lower labials in contact with 

 the anterior chin-shields, which are much longer than the 



