POPULAR TREATISE ON COMMON INDIAN SNAKES. 559 



and is well figured by Russell.* It is the variety A of Boulenger. 

 The ground colour is buff, pale brown, cedar-brown, or more rarely a 

 light dun. There is a conspicuous variegation caused by lighter and 

 darker streaks on the anterior-inferior margins of some of the scales. 

 The darker streaks show a marked tendency to congregate at intervals 

 and arrange themselves into cross-bars, which are usually narrowly 

 outlined with buff. These cross-bars narrow or actually break up 

 in the flanks, and are often rather ill-defined. In many specimens 

 an intermediate series of a less distinct character alternate with them. 

 If looked for longitudinal stripes similar to those in subvariety (a) are, 

 I think, always apparent, though often obscure, and the vertebral 

 streak is often interrupted. The belly is unspotted, and the head marks 

 as in subvariety (a). It is much the commonest form, and the 

 most widely distributed. Russell's specimen was from Vizagapatam,* 

 and Jerdon recorded it from Madras.* Blanford obtained it in Ellore 

 and Ajmeref. In our Society's collection there are specimens from 

 Bombay, Deolali, Karwar, Khandalla, Khandesh, and Goa Ghats. I 

 have lately seen a specimen in the Indian Museum from Dhikala 

 (Garhwal District) and have acquired specimens myself from Delhi, 

 Cannanore, Madras, Trichinopoly, Tuticorin, Vizianagram, Hyderabad 

 (Sind), Dehra Dun and Shembaganur. In the British Museum it is re- 

 corded from the Anamallays.t 



Subvariety (c). — Figure 1 of our Plate. This is the dubium of 

 Jerdon and the spilonotus of Giinther.§ This form is very similar to 

 the last but the cross-bars are modified to form two or four more or 

 less confluent or completely detached roundish spots, the median of 

 which are larger, and better defined, the lateral often being ill-defined 

 or irregular in form. These marks remind one forcibly of a similar 

 ornamentation seen in 0. venustus, Simotes splendidus (Gunther) and S. 

 albocmctns variety juglandifer (Wall). Longitudinal stripes as in the 

 previous forms are usually apparent if looked for. The vertebral streak 

 is often more or less interrupted. The belly is unspotted, and the 

 head marks are as in form (a). Jerdon's specimen was from Canara. 



* Loc cit. f J. A S., Bengal, XLVIII, pp. 114 and 125. 



+ Giimher, Rept. Brit. Ind., 1864, p. 207 and Plate XIX, fig. F. 



§ But not the binotatus of Dumeril and Bibron as erroneously supposed by Boulenger 

 (Cat., Vol. II., p. 243) This last is without doubt synonymous with Simotes cenustus 

 having, it is stated, 17 scale rows. 



