8. XEN0CHE0PHI8. 191 



a,b. S (V. 210; C. 118) Madagascar. 



& 2 (V. 210 ; C. 113). 

 c. c? (V. 198 ; C. ?). Imerina. Rev. R. Baron [C.]. 



8. XENOCHROPHIS. 



Tropirtonotu«, part., Gilntk. Cat. Col. Sn. p. 59 (1858). 

 Xenoclirophis, Giinth. Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 273 (1864) ; Boulemj. 

 Faun. Ind., Rept. p. 353 (1890). 



Maxillary teeth about 20, subequal ; anterior mandibular teeth 

 largest. Head slif^htl^y distirct from neck; eye moderate, with 

 round papil; nostrils directed upwards, pierced in a single nasal. 

 Body cylindrical ; scales keeled, without apical pits, in 19 rows ; 

 ventrals rounded. Tail moderate ; subcaudals in two rows. Hypa- 

 pophyses developed throughout the vertebral column. 



(South-eastern Asia. 



1. Xenochrophis cerasogaster. 



Psammophis cerasogaster, Cantor, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1839, p. 52. 

 Tropidouotus cerasogaster, Cantor, Cat. Mai. Rept. p. 92 (1847) ; 



Gunth. Cat. p. 79 (1858). 

 Xenochrophis cerasogaster, Giinth. Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 274 (1864) ; 



Theob. Cat. Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 180 (1876) ; Bouleng. Fatm. Ind., 



Rept. p. 353, tig. (1890). 

 Amphiesma schistaceum, Jan, Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. iii. 1865, 



p. 236. 



Head narrow, elongate, with angular canthus rostralis and slightly 

 concave lores ; eye moderate or rather small. Rostral once and oje 

 third to twice as broad as long; suture between the iuternasals 

 nearly as long as that between the prcelrontals ; frontal naxTOW, 

 much longer than its distance from the end of the snout, as long as 

 the parietals ; loreal as long as deep or a little longer than deep ; 

 one praeocular ; two or three postoculars and one or two suboculars; 

 temporals 2 + 2 or 2+3; nine upper labials, fourth entering the 

 eye ; five or six lower labials in contact with the anterior chin- 

 shields, which are as long as or a little shorter than the posterior. 

 Scales strongly keeled, in 19 rows. Ventrals 140-151 ; anal 

 divided; subcaudals 60-79. Brown above, with or without darker 

 spouS and with a more or less distinct paler dorso-lateral stripe ; 

 lower parts cherry-red to purplish black, with a yellow stripe on 

 each side extending from the lips to the cud of the tail. 



Total length 600 miUim. ; tail 140. 



From Bengal, Assam, and the Khasi Hills to the Malay Peninsula. 



a-f. $ (V. 149, 161, 146, 150, India. 



145 ; C. 72, 68, 66, 68, ?) & yg. 



(V. 140 ; C. 79). 

 g. S (V. 140 ; C. 76). Khasi Hills. Sir J. Hooker [P.]. 



h. d (V. 141 ; C. 70). Pinaug. Dr. Cantor. 



