168 



XENOPELTID^, 



pIiV 



CI---' '''^Jj^J'^^^^^P^ " ■■^' 



5fe' so eo 



bo 



*-. \prr 



Skull of Xc7iopcltis unieolor. 



1. Xenopeltis unieolor. 



Xenopeltis unieolor, JReimv. in Boie, Isis, 1827, p. 564 ; Cantor, Cat. 



Mai. Mept. p. 54 (1847) ; Bum. c^j- Bibr. Vu. p. 28 (1854) ; Gibith. 



Rej)t. Brit. Ind. p. 180 (1864) ; Jan, Icon. Gen. p. 57, 1. 9, pi. v. 



(1865) ; Theob. Cat. Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 140 (187G) ; Bouleng. Faun. 



Ind., Bcpt. p. 276^ fig. (1890). 



concolor, Beimv. I. c, 



leucocephala, Beirnv. I. c. 



Tortrix xenopeltis, Schleq. Phys. Serp. ii. p. 20, pi. i. fiffs. 8-10, and 



Abbild. pi. XXXV. (1844). 



Head much depressed, snout rounded ; frontal as long as its 

 distance from the rostral ; supraocular small, smaller than the 

 upper postocular ; a single large prajocular or loreal shield ; two 

 postoculars, upper largest ; eight upper labials, first in contact 

 with the intcrnasal, fourth and fifth entering the eye ; a pair of 

 very small chin-shields, in contact with the three anterior lower 

 labials. Scales in 15 rows. Ventrals 16G-193 ; aual divided ; 

 Bubcaudals 26-31. Black or brown above, highly iridescent, scales 

 with lighter edges, white beneath ; head whitish in the young. 



Total length 'lOOO millim. ; tail lOO. 



S. India, Burma, Indo-China, Malay Peninsula and Archipelago. 



