ELAPS COLLARIS. 171 



NOTE XV. 



THE CORRECT STATUS OF ELAPS COLLARIS 

 SCHLEGEL 



JOSEPH C. THOMPSON, 



Surgeou, U. S. Navy. 



In 1908 Dr. F. A. Jentink, Director of the Natural 

 History Museum at Leyden (Holland) and Dr. Th. W. van 

 LiDTH DE Jeude graciously extended the courtesy of allowing 

 me to study for a few weeks in the Herpetological De- 

 partment of the Leyden Museum. 



The type specimens of Elaps collaris which were de- 

 scribed by ScHLEGEL in 1837 were examined. This species 

 was correctly placed by its author in the genus Elaps. 

 It belongs to the group that is characterized by Mr. Bou- 

 LENGER as having the "symphysial in contact with the 

 anterior chin-shields". It is allied to E. tiarduccii Jan, 

 which it resembles in having the sixth supralabial in con- 

 tact with the parietal and in the colour pattern of the 

 body. It is specifically distinct in the following details: 

 The parietal shield is shorter, being less than the inter- 

 orbital space; the nuchal band is sharply defined, and 

 cannot be mistaken for the light band over the head, that 

 is so common a mark in the genus; the gastrosteges are 

 less numerous, the records are from two hundred twenty- 

 eight to two hundred twenty-nine, whereas the range in 

 narduccii is from two hundred forty to three hundred 

 fifteen. 



Notes from tlie Leyden Museum, Vol. XXXV, 



