474 JOURNAL, BOM HA V NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXI. 



sula and .Java further evidence of a confirmatory nature seems 

 desirable, since Flower (Jourl. As. Soc. Bengal 1899, p. 655) 

 reminds us of what is very true, viz., that mohirus is found in local- 

 ities outside its natural range, often being carried thence by 

 itinerant Indian jugglers. He records seeing one in Bankok which 

 enquiry elicited had come with a conjurer from India. Pythons too 

 are accidentally transported in ships occasionally to regions far 

 removed from their natural haunts. It is far commoner I think 

 in the plains than in the hills, but ascends to altitudes up to 

 about 6,000 feet in the Himalayas, and other Indian ranges. 



Lepidosis. — Rostral much broader than high ; in contact with 6 

 shields, the sutures made with the internasal decidedly shortest ; 

 impressed with two elongate furrows or pits parallel to and just 

 below the superior borders. 



Tnternasals. — A pair, the suture between them two-thirds to 

 three-fourths that between the prefrontal fellows. Prcefrontals a 

 pair, separated from the frontal by a transverse series of small 

 scales.* Frontal — Divided longitudinally, as large or rather 

 smaller than the puefrontals. Supraoculars. — Rather shorter than 

 the frontal, rather broader than each frontal half. Parietals. — 

 None, the tVontal being succeeded by small scales. Nasals. — In 

 contact with 1st and 2nd labials. Loreal r<'<jion occupied by many 

 scales. Eye surrounded by many scales hardly deserving the name 

 of pneoculars, postoculars, etc. 



Siipralahials 10 to 13, the anterior 2 deeply pitted as shown in 

 our Plate. Sometimes one (usually the 6th) touches the eye. 

 Tnfralabials I 8 to 22. Usually some of the anterior and posterior 

 are indented with small roundish depressions, but those may be 

 entirely absent. Sublinguals absent, the mental groove being 

 bordered by 5 or 6 small scales. Gostals two heads-lengths behind 

 heads 54 to 56 ; in midbody 61 to 75 ; two heads-lengths before 

 vent Jo to 45. On the back the scales are longer than broad, but 

 in the flanks they enlarge till in the last 2 rows the breadth 

 exceeds the length. The lasl row is just one-half the breadth of 



This is a curious departure from the usual colubrine arrangement of head 

 shielding but is also seen in the snake Zamtnis diadema. 



