SNAKES. 97 



d. Young. Mergui. Presented by Professor Oldham . 



e. Adult. Penang. Presented by General Hardwicke. 



/. Young : bad state. Penang. Presented by General Hard- 

 wicke. No occipital streak. 



g. Young. Penang. Presented by General Hardwicke. 



h. Adult : not good state. China. Presented by Mr. Reeve. 

 No occipital streak. 



2. Spilotes melanurus. 



Coluber melanurus, Schleg. Ess. pi. 5. f. 11, 12, and Ahbildg. 

 t. 5. Compsosoma melanurum, Dum. 8f Bibr. vii. p. 299. 



Body elongate, compressed. Scales keeled, in nineteen or 

 twenty-one rows ; the sixth upper labial forming a part of the 

 hinder margin of orbit; generallynine upper labials; two posterior 

 oculars. Hinder part of trunk and tail uniform black ; anterior 

 part and head brown or dark brown ; on each side of the neck 

 a broad oblique black streak ; on the anterior part of belly some 

 large black lateral spots ; streak and spots sometimes disappear- 

 mg with age. — Young with a yellow vertebral band ; two black 

 streaks from the ej^e to the lip ; no transverse occipital streak. 



This species exhibits a great tendency to irregularity in the 

 structure of the cephalic shields. 



Var. A. Without spots or streaks. 



a. Adult. Philippine Islands. From Mr. Cuming's Collection. 



Var, B. Black streaks on the neck, and black spots on the 

 sides of belly. 



b. Adult. Philippine Islands. Purchased of Mr. Cuming. 



c. Half-grown. Philippine Islands. Purchased of Mr. Cuming. 



d. Adult. Celebes. From the Leyden Museum. 



e. Adult. Borneo. Presented by Dr. J. Hooker. 



f. Half-grown. Borneo. Presented by Dr. J. Hooker. 



g. Nearly half-grown. Borneo. Presented by Captain Sir E. 



Belcher. 

 h. Adult. Borneo. From Mr. Lowe's Collection. * 

 i. Adult. Sumatra. From the Leyden Museum as C korros. 



Back with two very conspicuous black longitudinal bands. 



k. Half-grown : injured. Java. 



I. Half-growD : without epidermis. Singapore. Presented by 



General Hardwicke. 

 w, n. Half-grown. Nepal. Presented by B. H. Hodgson, Esq. 



Some shields of head united, so as to form only six upper 



and four lower labial shields ; no loreal. 



F 



