26 Col. K. H. Beddome on the 



Hah. Anamallay hills, 4700 feet elevation. Collected by 

 Mr. Davidson of Couoor, and presented bj him to the British 

 Museum. 



Nearly allied to P. Perrotetii^ but its coloration is distinct 

 and very pretty ; it is besides a longer snake with a greater 

 number of ventrals ; it has much longer occipitals, but this 

 may not be a constant character. 



Plectrurus Guntheri. 



Flectnirus Giintheri, Bedd. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1863, p. 228, pi. xxvii. ; 

 Gunther, Kept. Brit. Ind. p. 193. 



Snout obtuse ; rostral small, as long as broad, much shorter 

 than a nasal ; vertical elongate, produced behind, nearly 

 twice as long as broad ; tail compressed ; the terminal scute 

 tubercled, the two superposed points 2-;3-pointed, or there 

 are four superposed points ; the caudal scales and some of 

 the approximate scales of the trunk 3-6 -keeled ; the first 

 pair of lower labials form a suture behind the median and are 

 followed by a pair of chin-shields ; scales in 15 rows round 

 the middle of the body ; ventrals nearly twice as large as the 

 scales of the adjoining series, 171 to 175, subcaudals 10 to 

 12 pairs. Length 13-14 inches, girth about \\ to If inch. 

 Body bright reddish purple ; belly yellow, the yellow colour 

 rising up on the sides of the trunk in triangular markings, 

 the purple colour descending in the same form down to the 

 ventrals. 



Hah. Nilgiris hills, in the moist forests about Walaghat 

 (halfway down the Sispara ghat) , at an elevation of 3500 to 

 4000 feet ; found under stones and rocks. Very rare, only five 

 examples have been found. 



Plectrurus aureus. 



Plectrurus aureus, Bedd. Proc. Zool. Soc. March 2, 1880, p. 182, 



Snout obtuse ; rostral very small ; vertical pointed behind ; 

 supraorbital about half as large as the postocular ; eye large, 

 occupying nearly half the ocular shield ; tail compressed ; the 

 terminal scute with two double points, one above the other ; 

 the caudal scales and a few of the last scales of the trunk 3-7- 

 keeled ; the first pair of lower labials form a suture behind 

 the median, a pair of chin-shields present or not ; scales in 

 15 rows round the middle of the body ; ventrals rather more 

 than twice as large as the scales of the adjoining series, 164 

 or 165 ; subcaudals 12 pairs (in the two specimens known). 

 Length about 14 inches, girth about 1-1 § inch. Of a brilliant 



