8 Col. R. H. Beddome on the 



RMnoplns sanguineus. 



Ulu'iwpMs sanc/iiinetis, Eedd. Proc. Zool. Soc. 186.% p. 227} Giiuther, 



Kept. Brit. India, p. 186. 

 Rhinophis microlepis, Bedd. I. c. cum icon, (young). 



SnoTit acutely pointed ; rostral one third as long as the head, 

 slightly compressed, with an obtuse longitudinal keel above ; 

 caudal shield large, roughly lined, obtusely rounded, extend- 

 ing to the lower surface of the tail, its extent being about 

 that of the head ; caudal scales in the males smooth on the 

 upper surface of the tail, 4-8 keeled on the lower surface, in 

 the females smooth both above and below, scales of the central 

 row along the upper surface of the tail often enlarged ; a pair 

 of chin-shields present between the first pair of lower labials 

 and the ventrals. Scales round the middle of the body in 15 

 rows ; ventrals twice as large as the scales of the adjoining 

 series, a few near the anal region in the male keeled (as are 

 often some of the adjoining scales of the body), from 197 to 

 209 without reference to sex (a male with 9 subcaudals 

 having 209, a female with 6 subcaudals, 204). Subcaudals 



9 or 10 in the males, 5 or 6 in the females, generally in pairs, 

 sometimes a few entire. Length of adults 16-17 inches, girth 

 up to If inch. Back uniform bluish black, belly and 3 or 4 

 outer series of scales bright red blotched wntli black ; caudal 

 shield black, with a red band on each side and sometimes a 

 similar one down the centre (the red colours fade to white in 

 spirit) . 



Hab. South India : Cherambady in the Wynad, at about 

 3000 feet elevation ; on the Brumagherries (North Wynad), 

 under stones, 3000 to 4000 feet elevation ; Nellambur, in 

 Malabar, dug up in the forests about tlie Government teak- 

 plantations, about 500 feet above sea-level (but close under 

 the mountains) ; the Anamallays ; Tinnevelly and Travau- 

 core ghats. 



This species has exactly the caudal disk of the Ceylon 

 species of this genus ; but it differs from them in having 15 

 rows of scales instead of 17, and in its much larger ventrals. 

 It is a curious fact that only one species should have been 

 found in Southern India when Ceylon possesses five ; but the 

 fact of its occurring almost throughout the South Indian 

 Uropelt region is rather against the chance of other species 

 being detected. 



Mhinopht's Blythii. 



HhinopMs Blythii, Kelaart, Prodr. ii. p. 14 ; PeterS; Uropelt. p. 17 ; 



Giintlier, Kept, of Biit. lud. p. 186, in part only. 

 Mytilia Templetoiiii, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1858, p. 263. 



Snout acutely pointed ; rostral much less than one half the 

 length of head, very slightly compressed, generally produced 



