60. cOLUBER. 43 
broad, longer than its distance from the end of the snout, as long as 
or a trifle shorter than the parietals ; loreal small, as long as deep ; 
one pre- and two postoculars; temporals 1+2 or 3; seven upper 
labials, third and fourth entering the eye; four lower labials in 
contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are longer than the pos- 
terior. Scalesin 23 rows. Ventrals 208-222, rounded; anal divided ; 
subcaudals 62-74. Scarlet above, with black spots and a dorsal 
series of large rhomboidal black spots with a yellow centre ; head 
with black symntetrical markings as in Stmotes, viz. a cross band 
on the end of the snout, a crescentic band across the forehead, 
passing through the eyes, and a A-shaped one on the occiput ; lower 
parts yellow, with large black transverse spots or cross bands. 
Total length 700 millim. ; tail 120.. 
Chusan. 
a. 9 (V. 222';. C. 62). Chusan. Dr. Cantor. (Type.) 
b. Her. (V. 208; C. 74). Chusan. 
16. Coluber rufodorsatus. 
Tropidonotus rufodorsatus, Cantor, Zool. Chusan, pl. xiii. (1840), 
and Ann. § Mag. N. H. ix. 1842, p. 483. 
Ablabes sexlineatus, Dum. § Bibr. vii. p. 824 (1854). 
Coluber rufodorsatus, Giinth. Cat. p. 89 (1858), and Rept. Brit. 
Ind. p. 238, pl. xx. fig. G (1864); Strauch, Schl. Russ. R. p. 79 
(1875); Boettg. Ber. Offend. Ver. Nat. 1888, p. 70. 
Coronella sexlineata, Jan, Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. ii. 1863, p. 249, 
and Icon. Gén. 14, pl. vi. figs. 2 & 3 (1865). 
Simotes herzi, Boettg. Zool. Anz. 1886, p. 519. 
Ablabes rufodorsatus, Bouleng. Ann. § Mag. N. H. (6) v. 1890, 
p. 188. 
Rostral broader than deep, scarcely visible from above ; inter- 
nasals as broad as long or a little longer than broad, as long as or a 
little shorter than the prefrontals; frontal once and a half to twice 
as long as broad, as long as its distance from the end of the snout, 
shorter than the parietals; loreal as long as deep or a little longer ; 
one (rarely two) pree- and two postoculars; temporals 2+38:; seven 
(rarely eight) upper labials, third and fourth (or fourth and fifth) 
entering the eye; four or five lower labials in contact with the 
anterior chin-shields, which are as long as the posterior. Scales 
smooth, in 21 rows. Ventrals 162-190, rounded; anal divided; 
subcaudals 47-68. Yellowish olive above, with an orange vertebral 
line and four series of olive, black-edged, elongate spots, which are * 
posteriorly, or throughout, confluent into longitudinal bands.; the 
two median of these bands meet on the vertex; a A-shaped black 
band on the snout, extending from eye to eye, and a black band 
from the eye to the angle of the mouth; belly bright yellow, 
checkered with black; tail with four or five black longitudinal 
streaks. ; 
Total length 650 millim.; tail 95. 
Eastern Siberia and China, 
