204 REPTILES. 



head depressed, triangular, distinct from neck, with flat crown, 

 broad and rounded muzzle ; eye moderate, pupil elliptical, erect. 

 Rostral shield broader than high, triangular, raised above the 

 surface of snout, pointed behind, and extending between the an- 

 terior frontals ; anterior frontals moderate, five-sided ; posterior 

 ones much larger, five-sided, but bent on the side ; vertical mo- 

 derate, with straight, not much convergent outer edges, and a 

 right angle behind ; occipitals moderate, forked and rounded 

 behind ; two anterior and two posterior oculars ; upper ante- 

 ocular raised on the surface of crown ; loreal rather elongate, two 

 nasals, nostril between ; nine upper labials, fourth and fifth 

 forming the lower edge of orbit, ^ikth to ninth nearly equal in 

 size and structure ; about twelve scale-like temporal shields, two 

 of which are in contact with oculars. Scales smooth, rhomboid, 

 in seventeen rows, those of the vertebral row nearly equal to the 

 other ones, rather larger. Anal entire ; ventral plates obscurely 

 keeled. In the stomach of one specimen I found two bird's eggs. 



3. Lycodon rufozonatus. 



Cantor, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1842, p. 483. 



One upper anterior ocular, lower one united with loreal. 

 Brown, with numerous crimson (in spirits white) cross bands ; 

 belly pearl-coloured, tail beneath spotted with black. 



a. Adult. Chusan. 



9. IsoscELis, G'dnther. 



Lycodon with moderate, rounded body and very short tail ; 

 head rather depressed, rounded in front ; pupil ? Rostral shield 

 hardly reaching the surface of head ; anterior frontals small, pos- 

 terior large ; vertical three-sided (forming, in the only at present 

 known species, an isosceles triangle) ; two small nasals, nostril 

 between ; one very large, elongate loreal, replacing the anterior 

 ocular; anterior ocular none, posterior two. Scales smooth, 

 rhomboid, in seventeen rows ; those of the back equal. Anal 

 entire ; subcaudals two-rowed. 



1. ISOSCELIS MACULATA. 



Brownish yellow, with a dorsal series of irregular black spots ; 

 uniform yellowish beneath. 



a. Sine patria. 



Description of the specimen. — Body moderate, rounded ; tail 

 short, not distinct, tapering ; head rather short, not distinct. 



