152 COLUBBID^. 



1G3. Ablal)es baliodirus. 



Coronella baliodira, Boie, Isis, 1827, p. 539 ; Cantor, Journ. A^siat. 



Soc. Bengal, xvi, p. 913 (1847). 

 Ablabes baliodirus, Giiuth. Kept. Brit. Ind. p. 224 (1864) ; Bouleng. 



Cat. Sii. ii, p. 283 (1894) ; S. Flower, P. Z. S. 1899, p. 673. 



Snout short ; I'ostral broader than deep ; nasal divided ; a small 

 loreal ; frontal longer than its distance from the end of the snout, 

 shorter than the parietals ; one or two prse- and two postoculars ; 

 tempoi-als 1 + 2 ; 7 upper labials, third and fourth entering the 

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

 whicli are as long as or shorter than the posterior. Scales in 

 13 rows. Ventrals 115-137; anal divided; subcaiidals 58-75. 

 JBrown above, usually with small black-edged yellow spots, some- 

 times with blackish cross-bands or two series of large alternating 

 black blotches on the anterior part of the body, or with two light, 

 dark-edged streaks along the body and a third on the nape ; head 

 sometimes yellowish ; lips yellowish, with the sutures between the 

 shields black ; lower parts yellowish or coral-red, the brown of 

 the upper parts usuall)^ descending to the sides of the ventrals, 

 each of which may bear a black dot at the end ; sometimes a 

 black line along the middle of the lower surface of the tail. 



Total length 400 millim. ; tail 125. 



Malay Peninsula and Archipelago. Obtained on Penang by 

 Cantor, and in Province AVellesley by Capt. Flower. According 

 to the latter, a specimen was caught by Mr. H. IS". Eidley on the 

 top of Bujoug Malacca, in Perak. 



104. Ablabes longicauda. 



Peters, Mou. Berl. Ac. 1871, p. 574; Bouleng-. Cat. Sn. ii, p. 284 

 (1894) ; S. Flower, P. Z. 8. 1899, p. 673. 



Snout short, little longer than eye ; rostral broader than deep ; 

 nasal divided ; a small loreal, sometimes confluent with the 

 posterior nasal ; frontal longer than its distance from the end of the 

 snout, shorter than the parietals ; one or two prfe- and two post- 

 oculars ; temporals l-f2; 8 (or 7) upper labials, third to fifth 

 (or third and fourth) entering tiie eye; 4 lower labials in contact 

 with the anterior chin-shields, which are slightly longer than the 

 posterior. Scales in 13 rows. Ventrals 110-122 ; anal divided ; 

 subcaudals 77-103. Lustrous dark brown or black above, with 

 three yellowish longitudinal lines lost on the hinder half of the 

 body ; the vertebral line begiiniing behind the na])e, the laterals 

 widening anteriorly and descending obliquely with their black 

 borders towards the throat; a yellow chevron-shaped collar, 

 pointing backwards ; the black of the upper surface of the head 

 descending as a triangular patch on the temple ; eye bordered 



