APPENDIX. — SNAKES. 245 



Page 25. Simotes purpurascens, Var. D. 



g'. Adult : not good state. Nepal. Presented by B. H. Hodg- 

 son, Esq. 



Page 29. Add to Ablabes. 

 5 a. Ablabes purpureocauda. 



Scales in fifteen rows ; upper labials seven, third and fourth 

 touching the eye. Above brown, along each side of back a pur- 

 ple-coloured streak, lost on the hinder half of the tail, which is 

 purple-coloured. 



a, h. California. From Mr. Bridges' Collection. 



Description. — In general appearance similar to Coronella au- 

 striaca ; head moderate, not very distinct from neck, depressed, 

 with flat crown, and rounded, blunt muzzle ; body cylindrical, 

 with broad back ; tail not distinct from trunk, cylindrically ta- 

 pering. Rostral shield rounded, just reaching the surface of 

 forehead ; frontals moderate ; vertical six-sided, with an obtuse 

 angle in front and an acute one behind, with rather convergent 

 lateral edges ; occipitals moderate, rounded behind ; one nasal, 

 pierced by the nostril ; one oblong loreal ; one anterior ocular, 

 not reaching the surface of crown, two posterior ones ; one elon- 

 gate temporal shield in front, in contact with both oculars, two 

 pairs of smaller ones behind ; seven upper labials, the third and 

 fourth of which form the lower edge of orbit ; first pair of lower 

 labial shields forming together a suture behind the terminal one ; 

 two pairs of chin-shields behind, the front pair of which is much 

 larger. Scales quite smooth, rounded, in fifteen rows ; anal bifid ; 

 maxillary teeth equal and not grooved. Ground-colour brown, 

 as in Coronella austriaca ; from each temple a purple-coloured 

 streak runs along each side of the back ; hinder half of tail 

 purple-colom-ed. After having removed the epidermis, a greyish 

 colour appears ; through the eye a darker streak ; belly brownish 

 grey, each plate being black-edged. Length of cleft of mouth \" ; 

 length of tail 1^" ; total length 8^". The specimens may prove 

 to be half-grown individuals. 



Page 30. Trachischium. 



Having had an opportunity of examining three specimens 

 sent from Nepal by Mr. B. H. Hodgson, and some other ones 

 in the Collection of the East India Company, I have convinced 

 myself that this genus belongs to the family of the Calama- 

 RiDJE : the diagnosis remains the same. 



