30S 



colubrid.t;. 



31. ACHALINUS. 



Aclialinus, Petin-s, Man. Bert. Ac. 1809, p. 436. 

 Ophielaps, Saiivage, Bull. Soc. Philom. (7) i. 1877, p. lOS. 



Maxillary teeth. 22 to 25, small, equal ; mandibular teeth eiiual. 

 Head not distinct from neck ; eye small, with round or vertically 

 subelliptic pupil ; nostril rather large, pierced in the anterior of two 

 nasals ; posterior nasal concave ; no prseocular, loreal extending 

 from the nasals to the ej'e ; ])ostoeu]ars not distinct from anterior 

 temporals. Body cylindrical, slender ; scales lanceolate, feebly 

 imbricate, keeled, without apical pits, in 21 to 25 rows ; ventrals 

 rounded. Tail long, subcaudals single. Hypapophyses developed 

 throughout the vertebral column. 



China and Japan. 



Synopsis of the Species. 



Scales in 25 rows ; suture between the 

 internasals longer than that between the 

 praDfrontals 1. rvfescevs, p. 308. 



Scales in 23 or 25 rows ; suture between 

 the internasals shorter than that be- 

 tween the prefrontals 2. hraconnleri, p. 309. 



Scales in 21 ros\^s ; suture between the 

 internasals as long as that between the 

 prcefrontals 3. spinalis, p. 309. 



1. Achalinus rufescens. (Plate XX. fig. 2.) 



Achalinus rufesceus, Buuleng. Aiui. Sf May. S. H. (6) ii. 1888, 

 p. 43. 



Head narrow, elongate ; rostral small, as deep as broad, not 

 visible from above ; suture between the internasals twice as long as 

 that between the prsefrontals ; frontal broader than long, hardly 

 half as long as the parietals, four times as broad as the supraocular ; 

 only the upper anterior temj)oral in contact with the eye ; temporals 

 2 + 2; three shields bordering the parietals on each side, the third 

 very large and separated from its fellow by a small scale ; six upiier 

 labials, first very small, fourth and fifth euteriug the eye, sixth much 

 elongate : three pairs of large chin-shields, immediately followed 

 by the ventrals. Scales strongly keeled, some distinctly tricarinate, 

 in 25 rows. Ventrals 136 ; anal entire ; subcaudals 82. Uniform 

 pale reddish brown above ; upper labials and a sjwt on the temple 

 yellow ; uniform yellowish beneath. 



Total length 290 millim. ; tail 80. 



Southern China. 



a, cS (V. 13'1; C 82\ lloiig Kong. Citv Hall Museum. Iloug Kuutr 



TE.]. (Type.) ' 



