790 JOURNAL, BOMBA Y NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. 



spirit owing, I believe, to the green colouring matter dissolving 

 out. The preservative certainly acquires a distinctly greenish tinge. 

 In the specimen I examined only the 5th and 6th labials touched 

 the eye, and the last ventral was divided. If these two characters 

 are constant there is no doubt that the snake should rank as a 

 definite species. A study of the dentition would decide the point. 

 Dimensions. — The largest specimen of the typical variety I 

 know of is the one collected by Evans and myself in Rangoon, 

 which measured 4 feet 3 inches. 



General characters. — Practically identical with those enumerated 

 under D. tristis. I know of nothing special calling for remark ; 

 except that the tail appears to be relatively longer than in tristis, 

 being usually fully one-third the total length of the snake, and 

 often rather longer. The tongue is red with black tips (Flower). 



Identification. — The remarks made under D. tristis are applicable 

 here. A combination of the following characters will establish its 

 identity. — (I) Vertebrals enlarged, and as broad as long or nearly 

 so in midbody ; (2) Ridged ventral- shields ; (3) Scales in 15 rows 

 in midbody; (4) Divided annal; and (5) Subcaudal shields 131 

 to 153. As this snake is by far the commonest of the species in 

 the genera Dendrophis and Dendrelaphis within the territory 

 referred to hereafter, it is probable that any snake with the first 

 two characters just mentioned will prove to be [Actus. 



Haunts. — Its haunts are precisely those of its common Indian 

 ally tristis. That it will leave its arboreal environment in quest 

 of food is shown by Flower who found a marsh haunting frog 

 Rana macrodacti/la in the stomach of one specimen. In Burma it 

 was found in trees, and bushes, in verandah-creepers, the trellis- 

 work screens around tennis-courts, and similar situations usually, 

 and Annandale remarks that in the Malay States it is more 

 usually found in bushes near the ground than in trees. 



Disposition. — I believe it is a timid, inoffensive reptile, much 

 like its Indian cousin tristis. A specimen I had in captivity was 

 notably so, for when first caught by the tail it did not venture to 

 menace or bite, but merely struggled to escape. In its cage it 

 retired to the furthest part when the glass was approached, and 

 could not be roused to anger by drumming on the glass or waving 

 objects before it. 



