218 COLUBRin.E. 



band along the back : sides variegated black and white ; belly dirty 

 white, with a lateral series of black spots. 



Total length 328 millim. ; tail 10(5. 



Gold Coast. 



IT). Tropidonotus swinhonis. 



Tropidonotus swinhonis, Giiiith. Atm. S,- Mat/. N. II. (4) i. 1868, 

 p. 420, pi. xi^. fig. V. 



Head narrow and elongate. Eye moderate. Rostral broader 

 than deep, just visible from above ; internasals a little broader than 

 long, shorter than the prasfrontals ; frontal once and a half as long 

 as broad, as long as its distance from the end of the snout, shorter 

 than the parietals ; loreal as long as deep ; one pra3- and three post- 

 oculars ; temporals 1 + 2; six npper labials, third and fourth 

 entering the eye, fifth very long ; four lower labials in contact with 

 the anterior chin-sliields, which are shorter than the posterior. 

 Scales strongly keeled, of outer row faintly keeled, in 15 rows. 

 Ventrals ]50 ; anal divided; subcaudals firm 50. Brown above, 

 anteriorly with irregular blackish spots ; occiput and nape reddish, 

 with a broad black collar ; a black spot below the eye, and an 

 oblique black band on the temporal region : lower parts yellowish, 

 powdered with brown on the sides. 



Total length 580 millim. ; tail about 100, 



Formosa. 



«. ? (V. l-TO; C. ?). Formosa. R. Swinhoe, Esq. [C.]. (Type.) 



17. Tropidonotus nuchalis. (Plate XIII. fig. 1.) 



Tropidonotus swinhonis, var., G'dnth. Ann. Sf Mag. N. H. (0) iv. 



1889, p. 221. 

 nuchalis, Boulemj. Ann. S^ Mag. N. H. (fi) vii. 1891, p. 281. 



Head as in T. natrix. Eye moderate. Rostral broader than 

 deep, just visible from above ; interuasals as long as broad or a 

 little broader, as long as the pra-frontals : frontal once and one 

 third to once and a half as long .as broad, as long as or longer than 

 its distance from the end of the snout, a little shorter than the 

 parietals ; loreal as long as deep, or deeper ; one prse- and two or 

 three postoculars ; temporals 1 + 1 or 1 + 2; six upper labials, third 

 and fourth entering the eye, fifth very long ; four lower labials in 

 contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are shorter than the 

 posterior. Scales very feebly keeled, of outer row smooth, in 15 

 rows. A very distinct groove along the middle of the nape. 

 Ventrals ] 54-165 ; anal divided; subcaudals 4(5-50. Olive above, 

 uniform or with small black spots : an oblique black line below the 

 eye, and another between the two last labials ; lower parts uniform 

 black, or black in the middle and olive on the sides. 



Totiil length 640 millim. ; tail 120. 



China. 



a-d. £ (V. 154, 160, 161, Ichang, Upper Yang- A. E. Pratt, Esq. [C.]. 

 lOo; C. oO, 48, 47,46). tse-Kiang. (Types.) 



