DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW REPTILES FROM SIAM. 69 
by Mr. Boulenger. Mr. Barron who saw both specimens when 
fresh informs me, however, that the first one never showed any red 
coloration. The drawing of the head, by Mr. C. L. Groundwater, 
is from the second specimen, which will be also presented to the British 
Museum.—M. 5. | 
HYPSIRHINA SMITHII. 
Rostral twice as broad as deep ; internasal single, a little more 
than twice as broad as long ; frontal scarcely broader than the supra- 
ocular, twice as leng as broad, as long as its distance from the end of 
the snout, a little shorter than the parietals ; loreal as long as deep, in 
contact with the internasal ; one praeocular, the lower part, on one side, 
separated off as a subocular, two postoculars; temporals 14+2—3,; 
eight upper labials, fourth entering the eye; five lower labials in 
contact with the anterior chin-shields ; posterior chin-shields hardly 
distinguishable from the surrounding scales. Scales in 21 rows. 
Ventrals 121; anal divided; subcandals 56. Head and anterior part 
of the body grey above, with a zigzag vertebral band formed of 
confluent large black spots, and black on the sides and beneath, 
the black being interrupted by light pinkish bars which are continued 
as irregular series of yellow spots across the belly ; posterior part of 
body irridescent black, with incomplete narrow annuli, which are 
pinkish above and yellow beneath; upper surface of head spotted 
with black, with a black U-shaped mark from the angle of the mouth 
to the parictal. Tongue whitish (in life). 
Total length 400 mm. ; tail 80 mm. 
A single female specimen from the river Menam at Bangkok. 
This species, named after Dr. Malcolm Smith, is very closely 
allied to H. jayorit, Peters, from which it differs in the narrower 
frontal shield and, very strikingly, in the coloration. 
(This snake was caught by a small boy whilst shrimping off 
Messrs. L. T) Leonowens, Ltd., and kindly sent me by Mr. Miller. 
I kept it alive for four months. It had the sluggish disposition that 
is found in so many of the fresh-water snakes, and never made any 
attempt to bite when handled. It was not strictly aquatic, and lived 
quite as much on the land as in the water. On one occasion it ate 
a fish, but afterwards refused all food.—M.S.] 
Dr. Malcolm Smith has pointed out to me that two distinct 
forms have been confounded by Giinther and by myself under the name 
of Simotes taeniutus. One, with 17 rows of scales and a blackish spot 
