36 COLUBRID. 
than long, much shorter than the prefrontals ; frontal once and one 
third to once and a half as long as broad, as long as or a little 
shorter than its distance from the end of the snout, shorter than the 
parietals ; loreal longer than deep, often united with the prefrontal ; 
one large preocular, rarely with a small subocular below it; two 
postoculars; temporals 2+ 2 or 2+3; normally eight upper labials. 
fourth and fifth entering the eye; five lower labials in contact with 
the anterior chin-shields, which are as long as the posterior or 
a little longer. Scales in 23 rows, feebly keeled on the posterior 
part of the body. Ventrals 233-246; anal divided; subcaudals 
79-90. Brownish olive above, most of the scales black-edged ; 
young with blackish cross bands ; lower parts yellowish, the outer 
part of the margin of each ventral shield blackish. 
Total length 600 millim. ; tail 230. 
Himalayas. 
a, 2 (V. 245; C. 90). Tsomoriri, Ladak. Messrs. v. Schagin-) —> 
tweit [C.]. b 
b-c. d (V. 246; C. 79) Nepal. B. 1. Hodgson, Esq. ( 5 
& Q (V. 233; C. 88). (Pe. = 
d. 9 (V. 234; C. 83). Darjeeling. W.T. Blanford, Esq. [P.]. 
8. Coluber helena. 
Russell, Ind, Serp. i. pl. xxxii. (1796), 
Coluber helena, Daud. Rept. vi. p. 277 (1808) ; Bouleng. Faun. Ind., 
Rept. p. 331 (1890). 
Herpetodryas helena, Schleg. Phys. Serp. ii. p. 192 (1887). 
Cynophis bistrigatus, Gray, Ann. & Mag. N.H. (2) iv. 1849, p. 246. 
Piagiodon helena, Dum. § Bibr. vii. p. 170 (1854) ; Jan, Icon. Gén. 
20, pl. iv. fig. 1 (1867). 
Herpetodryas malabaricus, Jerdon, Journ. As, Soc. Beng. xxii. 1854, 
. 550. 
Cynophis helena, Giinth. Cat. p..95 (1858); Cope, Proe. Ac. Philad. 
1860, p. 565; Giinth. Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 247 (1864) ; Theob. Cat. 
Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 167 (1876); Blanf. Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xviii. 
1879, p. 125; Murray, Zool. Sind, p. 376 (1883). 
malabaricus, Giinth. Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 248, pl. xxi. fig. A; 
Theob. 1. ¢. p. 167. 
malabaricus, var, carinata, F. Mill. Verh. nat. Ges. Basel, 
vi. 1878, p. 671. 
Rostral a little broader than deep, visible from above; inter- 
nasals broader than long, much shorter than the prefrontals ; 
frontal once and one third to once and three fourths as long as 
broad, as long as its distance from the end of the snout, shorter than 
the parietals ; loreal somewhat longer than deep; one large pre- 
ocular, sometimes in contact with the frontal ; two postoculars ; 
temporals 2+2 or 2438; nine (exceptionally ten or eleven) upper 
labials, fifth and sixth (or fourth, fifth, and sixth) entering the eye ; 
five or six lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields, 
which are as long as or a little longer than the posterior. Scales in 
23 to 27 rows. smooth, or feebly keeled on the posterior part of the 
