170 COLUBEIDiE. 



than eye. Eostral a little broadei' than deep ; frontal as long as 

 broad or a little longer than broad, as long as or a little shorter 

 than its distance from the end of the snout, sliorter than the 

 parietals ; loreal as long as deep or a little longer tlian deep ; one 

 praeocular, extending to the npper surface of the head but not 

 reaching the frontal; 2 postoculars ; temporals 2 + 2 or 2 + 3; 

 8 (exceptionally 9) npper labials, third, fourth, and fifth entering 

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

 shields, which are as long as or a little longer than the posterior. 

 Scales in 21 (rarely 23) rows, vertebral row moi-e or less strongly 

 enlarged. Ventrals 209-239 ; anal entire ; subcaudals 89-110. 

 Black above with yellow ci'oss-bars, which are continuous across 

 the back or are restricted to the sides ; labials yellow, edged with 

 black ; throat and sometimes anterior part of belly yellow, the 

 rest of the lower jiarts black or leaden blue-black. 



Total length 2310 niilliui. 



Lower !Siam, Malay Peninsula and Archipelago. liecorded 

 from most localities in the Peninsula. 



Dr. Annandale observes that this nocturnal snake is very 

 vicious, and drums with its tail on the ground when alarmed. 

 Mr. Eidley, on the contrary, describes it as a very quiet snake, 

 becoming quite tame very shortly after capture. Its food consists 

 of small mammals, frogs, lizards, other snakes, fish, and even 

 slugs. 



185. Dipsadomorplius jaspideus. 



Triqhjiihodon jaspideum, Duni. & Bibr. Erp. Gen. vii, p. 1093 



(1854). 

 Dipsns hoops, Gilntli. Rept. Brit. Ind. p. '"JO^, pi. xxiv, tig. (i 



(1864). 

 Dipsadomorpfius jas2}ideus, Bouleng. Cat. Sn. iii, p. 73 (1896). 



Anterior palatine and mandibular teeth feebly enlarged. Eye 

 as long as the snout. Eostral broader than deep ; internasals 

 as long as the pra^frontals ; frontal l;j to Ig times as long as 

 broad, much longer than its distance from the end of the snout, 

 as long as or a little sliorter than the parietals ; loreal as long as 

 deep or deeper than long ; one prseocular, narrowly separated 

 from the frontal; 2 postoculars; temporals 2 + 2; 8 upper 

 labials, third, fourth, and fifth entering the eye; 4 or 5 lower 

 labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields ; posterior chin- 

 shields as long as or longer thnn the anterior, separated from each 

 other by scales. Scales in 21 rows, vertebral row strongly en- 

 larged. Ventrals 243-266 ; anal entire ; subcaudals 140-166. 

 Light brown or reddish above, mottled and speckled with black or 

 dark brown, and with more or less distinct blackish cross-bars 

 interrupted on the vertebral line ; a series of large m hitish spots 

 on each side, partly on the ventrals ; all the head-shields spotted 

 with black, the larger spots light-edged ; a black, light-edged 



